Caitlyn Johnson was a natural choice for the ceremony. In college, she and the bride found unlikely camaraderie over a shared crush. Since then, Johnson had stood by through good dates, bad dates, and the unexpected Bumble match that led her friend down the aisle.
But on the wedding day, Johnson wasn’t altarside as a bridesmaid. In a lush Westchester backyard, she stood beneath the arch and braced herself for a less orthodox role: the wedding officiant. Weeks earlier, she had applied for a single-use license to perform the ceremony.
“If that process didn’t exist, I don’t think she would have asked me,” said Johnson, a Long Island City resident who works in tech sales. “To be part of someone’s wedding is really special.”
About one-third of the city’s weddings are now performed by one-day officiants like Johnson, according to City Clerk Michael McSweeney. That’s because of a simplified licensing process the state launched in 2023.