Same-sex marriage in the U.S. state of New York became legal on July 24, 2011, under the Marriage Equality Act, which was passed by the New York State Legislature on June 24, 2011 and signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo on the same day. The Marriage Equality Act does not have a residency restriction, as some other states do, and allows religious organizations to decline to officiate same-sex wedding ceremonies.
In 2006, the New York Court of Appeals ruled that the New York state constitution does not require same-sex marriage rights and left the question of recognition to the legislature. Following the 2006 Court decision, the New York State Assembly passed same-sex marriage legislation in 2007, 2009, and 2011. However, the New York Senate rejected same-sex marriage legislation in a 38–24 vote on December 2, 2009. After negotiations between Republican members of the Senate and Governor Andrew Cuomo, regarding protections against discrimination lawsuits for religious groups and non-profit organizations, the bill passed the State Senate by a vote of 33–29. The law took effect on July 24, 2011.
OFFICIANTS
A Ceremony by Fr. Noel
I am an officiant, in the Christian tradition, officiating at Christian, Inter-faith and Civil wedding ceremonies.
A Ceremony To Treasure
An Ordained Minister and Wedding Officiant serving the New York, New Jersey and Connecicut areas.
A New York City Wedding by Rev. Will
Rev. Will is your best choice. Now recognized by TheKnot as Best of 2011 and by WW as Brides’ Choice 2011.
A Wedding Your Way
I am registered to perform weddings in New York City. You deserve “a wedding your way.”
Allison Dolan Hall
Offering ceremonies that are tailored to meet your needs, in the NYC and Long Island regions.
Angela Heil – Officiant for the Wedding of the Year Jan 2012
Angela of ASH Ministries Inc. 501c3-is Sr. Pastor, an ordained Interfaith Minister and has been Officiating weddings since 2003.
Annie Lawrence, NYC Wedding Officiant
NYC Wedding Officiant! I celebrate civil, spiritual, non-denominational, and romantic ceremonies that reflect your personal love story. All couples welcome–Marriage Equality!
Arthur S. Welch – NYC Registered Wedding Officiant
I officiate weddings at couple’s homes, halls, and restaurants. I officiate ceremonies in the Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.
Creative Wedding Offiiant – Barbara Ann Michaels
Feel the truth and treasure of your special love shared in an inspired custom ceremony ~ from elegant to sweet to playful! In New York City and beyond.
Divine Mercy MInistry of Central New York
Wedding ministry in Syracuse and Central New York
Dorothy Muson – Modern Ceremonies – New York City/Westchester
Create a new tradition for your perfect wedding.
Hudson Valley Ceremonies
Registered officiant throught all of New York State.
Interfaith Non-Denominational Minister – Rev. Jude Smith (Hudson Valley, NY)
Hudson Valley of New York, (Catskill Mountain region, Dutchess, Ulster, Columbia, Putnam, Westchester, Orange, Albany, and Greene). Berkshire Mountains of SW Massachusetts, as well as the western portions of Connecticut.
Jewish Wedding Rabbi – Rabbi A. Frank
Ordained Reform Rabbi officiating Jewish wedding ceremonies for Jewish couples and interfaith couples who have chosen Judaism as their one faith.
Joining Hands Wedding Services – Rev. Jack Porcello Ph.D.
Western and Central New York State (Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Finger Lakes NY areas) since 1989.
Licensed Wedding Officiant – Maria Pirera
Honoring and respecting all religious traditions and spiritual paths, bringing your families together.
Long Island Wedding Officiant, Reverend Johnny Erato
All types of ceremonies happily officiated.
Marie April Gismondi – Weddding Officiant
Serving Long Island, NYC, and nationally. Getting Married? I would love to chat with you!
Mid Island Wedding Ministries
Wedding Officiant: New York City, Long Island, Upstate New York
Nautical Wedding Bells, Captain Arnold (Chaplain)
Serves the metro New York, Long Island, Connecticut and New Jersey areas.
New York State: Albany and surrounding areas
My name is Reverend Colleen Rundell and I am an ordained interfaith minister.
New York: Weddings of New York. Mary Beaty, Chaplain AHA HS
Civil Marriage Officiant, New York City, New York State, including Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan. Will also travel to Niagara Falls, also licensed in Canada.
NY Westchester: Poetic Ceremonies, Dotti Templeton
Let me create a wedding ceremony for you that reflects your personality, values, and originality.
NYC and Brooklyn: Two in Love Ceremonies
I love working with couples to create a ceremony that reflects their love, life, and hopes for their future.
NYC Wedding Officiant – Knot by the Sea
Weddings by Alexandra Paez, experienced, reliable & affordable. English & Spanish ceremonies.
NYS Wedding Officiant DBLorgan I will travel within a 50 mile radius of Penn Yan NY. Additional travel will need to be discussed.
One Love – Interfaith Ceremonies
I am an ordained Interfaith Minister and am qualified to officiate your wedding in New York State.
Rabbi Frank Tamburello
Rabbi and humanist celebrant available for Jewish, non Jewish, and interfaith life-cycle events in the Long Island and greater NY metropolitan area.
Rev. Becker- Hudson Valley – Catskill NY Ceremonies
Registered officiant throughout all of New York State and the Tri-State Area.
Rev. Denise
I will help you design your wedding ceremony uniquely for you . No 2 ceremonies alike! Let’s meet for coffee and see if we are a good match!
Reverend Dr. Ron Isaacs
It’s your day and I want you and all of your family and friends to remember your beautiful ceremony for the rest of their lives.
Reverend Shari will “marry you up good!”
Legal same-sex weddings now available in CT at many wonderful locations.
Rose Ministries of Guilderland, New York
I am an Interfaith Minister. Serving the Capital District Region .
Saratoga Springs Wedding Officiant – Reverend Joy Burke, Interfaith Minister
Specializing in Saratoga Springs and New York City Destination Weddings.
The Divine Mercy Ministry of Central New York
Reverend Kirk Mason marriage ministry in Central New York.
The Jewish Wedding Rabbi – Rabbi Andrea Frank
Jewish Wedding Officiant, Jewish, Interfaith Couples and Civil Wedding ceremonies.
WeMarryU Wedding Officiants
“Professional Wedding Officiants, with the Personal Touch”. Last minute wedding ceremony Specialists.
Article 3 – § 11 By Whom a Marriage Must Be Solemnized
§ 11. By whom a marriage must be solemnized. No marriage shall be valid unless solemnized by either:
1. A clergyman or minister of any religion, or by the senior leader, or any of the other leaders, of The Society for Ethical Culture in the city of New York, having its principal office in the borough of Manhattan, or by the leader of The Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture,having its principal office in the borough of Brooklyn of the city of New York, or of the Westchester Ethical Society, having its principal office in Westchester county, or of the Ethical Culture Society of Long Island, having its principal office in Nassau county, or of theRiverdale-Yonkers Ethical Society having its principal office in Bronx county, or by the leader of any other Ethical Culture Society affiliated with the American Ethical Union.
2. A mayor of a village, a county executive of a county, or a mayor, recorder, city magistrate, police justice or police magistrate of a city, a former mayor or the city clerk of a city of the first class of over one million inhabitants or any of his or her deputies or not more than four regular clerks, designated by him or her for such purpose as provided in section eleven-a of this chapter, except that in cities which contain more than one hundred thousand and less than one million inhabitants, a marriage shall be solemnized by the mayor, or police justice, and by no other officer of such city, except as provided in subdivisions one and three of this section.
3. A judge of the federal circuit court of appeals for the second circuit, a judge of a federal district court for the northern, southern, eastern or western district of New York, a judge of the United States court of international trade, a federal administrative law judge
presiding in this state, a justice or judge of a court of the unified court system, a housing judge of the civil court of the city of New York, a retired justice or judge of the unified court system or a retired housing judge of the civil court of the city of New York certified pursuant to paragraph (k) of subdivision two of section two hundred twelve of the judiciary law, the clerk of the appellate division of the supreme court in each judicial department, a retired city clerk who served for more than ten years in such capacity in a city having a population of one million or more or a county clerk of a county wholly within cities having a population of one million or more; or,
4. A written contract of marriage signed by both parties and at least two witnesses, all of whom shall subscribe the same within this state, stating the place of residence of each of the parties and witnesses and the date and place of marriage, and acknowledged before a judge of a court of record of this state by the parties and witnesses in the manner required for the acknowledgment of a conveyance of real estate to entitle the same to be recorded.
5. Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, where either or both of the parties is under the age of eighteen years a marriage shall be solemnized only by those authorized in subdivision one of this section or by
- the mayor of a city or village, or county executive of a county, or by
- a judge of the federal circuit court of appeals for the second circuit, a judge of a federal district court for the northern, southern, eastern or western district of New York, a judge of the United States court of international trade, or a justice or a judge of a court of the unified court system, or by
- a housing judge of the civil court of the city of New York, or by
- a former mayor or the clerk of a city of the first class of over one million inhabitants or any of his or her deputies designated by him or her for such purposes as provided in section eleven-a of this chapter.
6. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this article to the contrary no marriage shall be solemnized by a public officer specified in this section, other than a judge of a federal district court for the northern, southern, eastern or western district of New York, a judge of the United States court of international trade, a federal administrative law judge presiding in this state, a judge or justice of the unified court system of this State, a housing judge of the civil court of the city of New York, or a retired judge or justice of the unified court system or a retired housing judge of the civil court certified pursuant to paragraph (k) of subdivision two of section two hundred twelve of the judiciary law, outside the territorial jurisdiction in which he or she was elected or appointed. Such a public officer, however, elected or appointed within the city of New York may solemnize a marriage anywhere within such city.
7. The term “clergyman” or “minister” when used in this article, shall include those defined in section two of the religious corporations law. The word “magistrate, ” when so used, includes any person referred to in the second or third subdivision.