Witnessing Weddings: Can My Son Be One?

If you're wondering who can be a witness at your wedding, the good news is that almost anyone can! Whether it's your son, a parent, a friend, or even a stranger, as long as they meet certain requirements, they can be a witness to your special day. Witnesses play an essential role in the wedding ceremony, ensuring that the wedding is performed legally and that the couple enters into the marriage willingly. So, if you're planning your big day, rest assured that you have a lot of flexibility when it comes to choosing your witnesses.

Legal requirements for witnesses

The role of a wedding witness is to observe the wedding ceremony and sign the legal paperwork afterwards. Wedding witnesses are still a legal requirement in the UK, and for Church of England weddings. In the US, only about half of the states require witnesses for marriage ceremonies.

In the UK, there must be at least two witnesses, although some sources state that more than two people can act as unofficial witnesses. In the US, the number of witnesses required varies by state, with some requiring one or two witnesses, and others requiring none.

In the UK, witnesses must be old enough to understand what a marriage is and what a legal ceremony looks like. In the US, witnesses must be able to understand and witness the wedding ceremony and sign their name. In some states, witnesses must be over the age of 16 or 18, and may be required to show photo ID.

In the UK, witnesses do not need to be residents, but they must be able to speak the language the ceremony is being conducted in. In the US, witnesses must know both applicants in some states.

There are no other legal requirements for witnesses, and they do not need to be related to the couple or members of the wedding party.

The role of a witness

In the UK, every wedding must have at least two witnesses, who sign the marriage register. There is no restriction on who can be a witness, as long as they are an adult, understand what is happening, and can speak the language the ceremony is being conducted in. Witnesses do not need to bring ID to the wedding, and they do not need to be a resident of the UK.

Witnesses at a wedding often have other roles, such as best man, maid of honour, bridesmaid, usher, or groomsman. However, this is not a requirement, and being a witness may be the only role a person has in the ceremony.

In California, there are two types of marriage licenses: confidential and non-confidential. Confidential licenses do not require any witnesses, while non-confidential licenses require one witness but have space for two.

When choosing a witness, it is important to consider someone who understands the importance of the role and will treat it as an honour. This could be a close family member, friend, or even a stranger.

Who can be a witness?

So, who can be a witness at your wedding?

The good news is that there are very few limitations on who you can choose to be a witness at your wedding. The core role of a wedding witness is to observe the ceremony and sign the legal paperwork afterwards. Witnesses are there to ensure that the wedding is done legally, and that neither party is being forced into the marriage. While witnesses were historically required to ensure that the officiant carried out their job correctly, this is no longer the case.

The only legal requirements for a wedding witness are that they understand what a marriage is, what a legal ceremony looks like, and what they are signing. They must be able to speak the language the ceremony is being conducted in, and be old enough to understand what weddings are, and why they are important. While some officiants prefer witnesses to be over 18, there is no legal age restriction. In fact, in the UK, there is no legal requirement for a witness to even bring ID to the wedding. It is up to the officiant to decide whether the person is suitable.

This means that, yes, your son can be a witness at your wedding!

If you are getting married in the UK, you will need at least two witnesses, but you can have more if the officiant and venue allow it. If you are eloping, you might choose to ask a stranger to be your witness, such as a member of staff at the wedding venue, or a passerby on the street. However, if you are having guests, you can ask them to be your witnesses, and you can choose anyone from your wedding party, including the best man, maid of honour, bridesmaids, ushers, or even the parents of the bride and groom.

How many witnesses are needed?

The number of witnesses you need at your wedding depends on where you are getting married. In the UK, for example, every wedding must have at least two witnesses, aside from the couple getting married and the person conducting the ceremony. There are only two spaces for witness signatures on the wedding register, but if you would like to have more than two witnesses, you may be allowed to have more than one signature on each line, depending on the discretion of the officiant and the venue. If you can't have more than two official witnesses, you can have more than two people as unofficial witnesses, who can pose for photos next to the register, for example.

In the US, the number of witnesses required varies from state to state. Only about half of the states require witnesses for marriage ceremonies. In California, for example, there are two types of marriage licenses: confidential and non-confidential. The confidential one needs no witnesses at all, while the non-confidential license, which is more commonly used, requires one witness but has space for two. Other states that require two witnesses include Alaska, Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. On the other hand, states such as Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Vermont do not require any witnesses.

Asking someone to be a witness

Legally, a witness can be anyone who understands what a marriage is and what a legal ceremony looks like. They must be able to speak the language the ceremony is being conducted in and be old enough to understand whatsection about is taking place. While witnesses are usually adults, in some places, section about minors can also be witnesses.

When choosing your witnesses, consider who would see it as an honour to be part of your special day. This could be your parents, siblings, grandparents, close friends, or even your children. You can also choose members of your wedding party, such as the best man, maid of honour, bridesmaids, or ushers, to be your witnesses.

There are many creative ways to ask someone to be a witness at your wedding. You can include a second card with the wedding invitation, take a selfie, use a photo collage, or give them a gift with a personalised pen or pencil. You can even use a puzzle, a humorous image, or fortune cookies to surprise them with this special request.

Frequently asked questions