Professional wedding officiants and celebrants who meet or exceed program requirements are eligible to apply for the CPWO – Certified Professional Wedding Officiant credential offered by The International Association of Professional Wedding Officiants.
The CPWO professional credential is available for qualified professional officiants and celebrants whether they are a member of IAPWO or not, but IAPWO members do receive discounted application and renewal fees.
For more information on IAPWO membership standards and benefits, please see the About IAPWO and Member Benefits pages.
Professional Wedding Officiant Certification
The CPWO – Certified Professional Wedding Officiant credential is recognized as the events-industry standard professional credential for wedding officiants and celebrants. Officiants who have earned the CPWO credential are certified by IAPWO as having met rigorous standards for professional education and experience, and operate according to a strict Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.
CPWO is an individual professional credential, and is not available for use by companies or agencies unless every officiant in their organization is a current CPWO credential holder, and the organization has signed a licensing agreement with IAPWO. The CPWO credential and badge is licensed for use by current CPWO credential holders only, and usage is allowed according to strict guidelines. Please view the current CPWO Credential Application and Agreement for current usage guidelines.
If you believe an officiant is improperly using the CPWO – Certified Professional Wedding Officiant credential, please notify us here.
CPWO Eligibility Standards
In order to be eligible for the CPWO credential, applicants must submit an application which meets or exceeds the following CPWO Eligibility Standards:
Compliance
- All applicants must certify that they meet or exceed the IAPWO Standards of Membership at the time of application, and agree to adhere to the IAPWO Code of Ethics and Non-Discrimination Policy in order to hold a CPWO credential, whether they are members of IAPWO or not.
Experience
- Applicant must have performed a minimum of fifty (50) wedding ceremonies within the last five (5) calendar years, subject to verification by IAPWO according to the CPWO Documentation Guidelines, and
- Applicant must have received a minimum of ten (10) online reviews of their services within the last five (5) calendar years with a score of 5 out of 5 stars (or equivalent), subject to verification by IAPWO according to the CPWO Documentation Guidelines
Education
- Applicant must earn a minimum of ten (10) CPWO Educational Credential Points (ECPs) in each of the seven CPWO Competency Domains by completing one or more IAPWO Accredited™ Educational Programs. The CPWO Competency Domains are:
- Ceremony Preparation
- Ceremony Performance
- Customer Relations
- Legal Compliance
- Business Operations
- Professional Communication
- Professional Conduct
Exceptionally qualified applicants may be eligible to earn CPWO Educational Credential Points (ECPs) through an Educational Equivalency Exam, administered by IAPWO evaluators on a case-by-case basis. Please note that Educational Equivalency Exams are only available to extremely well-qualified candidates with more than 10 years of professional experience, or who have performed more than 500 wedding ceremonies.
The Educational Equivalency Exam is proctored in a live interview format by an approved IAPWO evaluator, and requires payment of the CPWO Educational Equivalency Exam Fee prior to administration of the exam. If you believe you may be eligible for an Educational Equivalency Exam, please contact us to discuss your case.
Otherwise, we strongly encourage all applicants to earn ECPs by completing one or more IAPWO Accredited™ Educational Programs. IAPWO Accredited™ programs have been reviewed, scored, and verified by the IAPWO for quality and content, and represent the very best education and training programs available for officiants and celebrants around the world.
CPWO Educational Credential Points (ECPs) are subject to verification by IAPWO according to the CPWO Documentation Guidelines.
CPWO Documentation Guidelines
The following is a list of acceptable documentation formats for the CPWO credential application:
Experience
- Client Contracts – Fifty (50) signed client contracts for completed wedding ceremonies taking place within the 5 calendar years immediately preceding the date of CPWO application, in Adobe PDF format. Only signed contracts for wedding ceremonies which were actually completed (performed) will be accepted. Personally identifiable client information such as email addresses, physical addresses, and phone numbers should be redacted prior to submission to IAPWO.
- Online Reviews – Ten (10) online reviews of applicant’s services with a score of 5 out of 5 stars (or equivalent) within the last 5 calendar years, in the form of direct URL links on any of the following websites: WeddingWire.com, The Knot.com, WeddingOfficiants.com, Yelp.com, or Google.com. Reviews for a company or agency which do not mention the applicant by name, or reviews of officiant services performed by any individual other than the applicant, will not be accepted.
Education
- Certificate(s) of Completion – Official certificate of completion, or email from educational program provider certifying completion, of IAPWO Accredited™ Educational Programs totaling more than ten (10) CPWO Credential Points (CPs) in each of the seven CPWO Competency Domains, in PDF format. Only educational programs which have been evaluated and approved as IAPWO Accredited™ Educational Programs will be considered for CPWO credentialing purposes. Click here for a full list of IAPWO Accredited™ Programs.
- Educational Equivalency Exam Score – Scoring sheet issued by IAPWO evaluator after administering an Educational Equivalency Exam, indicating satisfactory competency in each of the seven CPWO Competency Domains, in PDF format.
Application Process and Renewals
Professional officiants and celebrants who wish to apply for the CPWO credential must submit a CPWO Credential Application with all required documentation, a signed CPWO Credential Agreement, and payment of the CPWO Application Fee.
Applications are then reviewed by an IAPWO evaluator and approved, denied, or additional documentation may be requested. The evaluation process typically takes 4-8 weeks to complete depending on the current volume of applications.
If approved, the applicant’s CPWO credential is current for two (2) years from the date of approval. Renewal of the CPWO credential, including payment of the CPWO Renewal Fee, is required every two (2) years in order to remain current. Additional requirements for renewal may apply.
For more information, please see the CPWO Credential Application and Agreement, which may be obtained by completing the pre-application contact form below.
CPWO Fee Schedule
The current fees for the CPWO – Certified Professional Wedding Officiant credential are as follows:
- $499 CPWO Application Fee (includes first two years)
- $199 CPWO Renewal (every two years)
- $799 CPWO Educational Equivalency Exam Fee (requires approval)
Discounted CPWO fees for current IAPWO Members:
- $399 CPWO Application Fee (includes first two years)
- $99 CPWO Renewal (every two years)
- $699 CPWO Educational Equivalency Exam Fee (requires approval)
CPWO Credential Application
The CPWO – Certified Professional Wedding Officiant application and the CPWO Credential Agreement are available in PDF format by using the request form below. If you have any questions about the credential or the certification process, please feel free to contact us anytime.