She was in labor. From her hospital bed, she officiated the wedding of a couple also having a baby.

[FSogol]

Sushma Dwivedi Jindal was having her baby last week at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

As she was getting an epidural in her spine to halt the pain of contractions, her anesthesiologist started chatting with Jindal to calm her nerves.

“She happens to mention that there was a mad dash to hunt down the hospital chaplain for a wedding,” said Jindal, 37.
A couple down the hall — together for 10 years but never married — had their hearts set on tying the knot before the baby came, the doctor said. They had gotten their wedding license the day before, but then the woman unexpectedly went into labor.

Jindal blurted out: “I don’t know if this will feel helpful or weird, but I was ordained on the Internet and I can perform the ceremony.”

Whole story here:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2018/05/24/she-was-having-a-baby-from-her-hospital-bed-she-officiated-at-the-wedding-of-another-patient-also-in-labor/?utm_term=.621b189fd4c3&wpisrc=nl_optimist&wpmm=1

[snowybirdie]

1. Anyone else

think these folks had plenty of time to marry without imposing on a woman who was experiencing her own life changing moment? Selfish and silly. Not "heartwarming"

[FSogol]

3. Except the woman seemed happy to help out & even volunteered. That's what makes it a nice story.

People put things off. There is never enough time.

[Cracklin Charlie]

7. Plus, women are amazing creatures!

Multitasking is a constant.

Perform a small, but important ceremony during childbirth...all in a day’s work!

[Ilsa]

2. An epidural can make all the difference in knowing your officiant

won't be screaming or huffing her breaths between asking if anyone has any objections and pronouncing a couple husband and wife (or wife and wife or husband and husband).

[marybourg]

4. Internet officients arent

necessarily legal in N.Y.

[FSogol]

5. They have a certificate. All it needs is a signature.

I'm sure NY doesn't spend much time verifying every signature on every marriage license.

FREEZE! It's the NY Marriage Enforcement Squad. Come out with your bouquet up!

[marybourg]

6. No. They don't.

But when the day comes, maybe years down the road, when a valid marriage needs to be proven for some benefit, that one may not qualify

But then the DUers of the future will read of another indignant tale of the big unfair gub'mint.

[MissB]

8. The validity of a marriage is shown by a marriage certificate

In our state at least, the state’s vital records office records marriage certificates. I can go and get a copy from the state at any point, showing that my marriage from 23 years ago is valid.

Doesn’t matter that our friend’s friend got his officiating abilities from the interwebs. Only matters that the state took the required documentation and issued a marriage certificate.

[moriah]

9. NYC has stricter rules for registration of officiants than the rest of NY, but....

... I still doubt their marriage would be considered invalid if it turned out she hadn't gone through the required steps.

Generally speaking, the couple believing the officiant was validly registered wouldn't be the one penalized, but the one who offered her services.

I would need to look up the precise way New York words their law regarding when the contract made is considered invalid from the start vs annulment being a required process to dissolve a marriage. I know here in AR, we have to register our ULC ordination with the county we reside in, and are given a "Book" and "Page" number. That must be entered, along with the officiant's signature and which county's book they're in, by the officiant on the marriage license.

Which kind of makes any person who simply got ordained from kicks and never registered their ordination say "Waitaminute, I don't have this information...."