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A "marriage officiant" is the individual who "officiates" (leads and officially approves of) a wedding. In religious weddings, the officiant is usually a member of the "clergy," or the people who are "ordained" (authorized by the church) to perform religious duties. In "secular" (not religious) weddings, the officiant can be an authorized government official.

But some "brides" (women on their wedding day) and "grooms" (men on their wedding day) want their officiant to be a close friend or family member. The laws on this "vary" (are different) by state. In California, for example, individuals can be "deputized" (authorized) to perform marriages even if they are not members of the clergy. These people need to complete some basic instruction, fill out the application form, and pay a fee. Then they are "sworn in as" (asked to take an oath or official promise as) a Deputy Marriage Commissioner with the authority to marry one couple in one ceremony on one day.

In some other states, the individual does have to be ordained to officiate a wedding. The process for being ordained can be "lengthy" (taking a lot of time) in many churches, but some churches have "sprung up" (appeared quickly) primarily to offer an easy and quick way for people to be ordained. For some ordination programs, the only requirement is to fill out some forms online and then receive a certificate in the mail.

During the ceremony, the officiant has some flexibility regarding what is said, but usually there is at least one section of very specific "wording" (the exact words that are spoken) that must be present for the marriage to be "valid" (considered official or true). But these requirements are generally "minor" (not very difficult to comply with), so the couple and the officiant can be creative in planning the ceremony.