The people who can legally officiate a wedding include:

• Religious officiants : These are ordained ministers, priests, pastors, rabbis, imams, pandits, or other clergy authorized by their religious body to perform marriages, typically within their faith tradition

. For example, Christian weddings are officiated by priests or ministers, Jewish weddings by rabbis, Islamic weddings by imams, and Hindu weddings by pandits

• Civil officiants : These include judges, magistrates, justices of the peace, court clerks (in some jurisdictions), mayors, and licensed civil celebrants who are authorized to perform legal marriages without religious affiliation

• Ordained individuals : Friends or family members can officiate a wedding if they have been legally ordained through recognized organizations (often online ordination) and meet state or local requirements for officiants

. However, the legality depends on the specific jurisdiction, so it is important to verify local laws before the ceremony

• Special cases : Some states allow notaries public or ship captains to officiate weddings, but this varies by location

In summary, who can officiate a wedding depends on the jurisdiction's laws but generally includes religious clergy, civil officials, and legally ordained individuals, including friends or family, provided they meet local legal requirements