Who all can legally perform weddings in SC? Here’s what state law says

Can you get your sister’s boyfriend’s father to marry you in South Carolina?

Only if he is recognized by the state as an officiant.

State law spells it out clearly: “ministers of the Gospel, Jewish rabbis, officers authorized to administer oaths in this state, and the chief or spiritual leader of a Native American Indian entity recognized by the South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs.”

But what if you don’t know anyone with those distinctions?

You can actually find an officiant for hire. Take weddingwire.com, which has a list of dozens of businesses that can do everything from officiating to providing a venue.

Pastor John Peters, for example, says on the website he’s married more than 500 couples — all ages, all venues, all sizes.

In Myrtle Beach, Rev. Benjy Simmons can do religious, non-religious, interfaith, rehearsal and vow renewal ceremonies. “Simple, yet customized to how you envision the special day, including personalization of the wedding vows.”

Midlands Wedding Services, established in 2013, says it can officiate in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and destinations worldwide.

There are more than a hundred listed from all over the state.

State law does not require that the officiant be registered with the state, but 12 other states do.

Here are other requirements for marriage in South Carolina.

• You must be 18 to marry. But there are exceptions. If a parent or guardian approves, you can marry at 16.

• North Carolina and Alaska allow marriages with parental consent at 14 and California and Washington don’t specify a legal minimum age.

• There is a 24-hour waiting period from application to a license being issued. The county’s probate judge issues the license, except in Darlington and Georgetown counties, where it is the clerk of court.

• You don’t have to have a witness sign your marriage license. The officiant will do that.

• Same-sex marriage has been legal in South Carolina since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Obergefell v. Hodges, which took effect on Nov. 20, 2014.

• If you go to a qualifying premarital preparation course you get a one-time $50 nonrefundable state income tax credit.

• On average, men in South Carolina marry at 29.4 years old, and women at 27.6 years old.

• The U.S. Census Bureau says Utah residents marry the earliest — 25.8 years — and Massachusetts later — 31.3 years.

• In South Carolina, 35.1% of men and 29.4% of women have never been married, Business Insider reported.

• The Wedding Report website said in 2023 there were 34,542 weddings in South Carolina, ranking 22 among US states and the District of Columbia.

• The average amount spent on weddings in the state was $30,110 in 2023.