Ordination

In order to perform religious ceremonies, you need to be ordained. “Ordained” just means a Church has invested you with ministerial authority.

“Ordained” to a Catholic kid means giving up your sex life, studying for years, and then having to work on the weekends. There are other Churches with usually more liberal restrictions. I would get ordained there.

The Universal Life Church is well-established and has a number of branches – much like there are many Protestant Churches (with about as much love for each other.) I learned about it because the officiant for our wedding was a healing minister from the ULC. (She was also a notary public, since Florida didn’t recognize the ULC at the time, but so it goes.)

This is the original ULC: https://www.ulchq.com/ and is the main offshoot: https://www.themonastery.org/ (it also wins the Google war.)

My dog and I are ordained in the Church of Gnome: https://www.churchofgnome.org/

I am also an American Marriage Minister: https://theamm.org/

You could certainly start your own Church, but if you just want the ability to marry two of your friends, then one of these (or many others) is probably a much simpler way to go.

I would also check the ULC or AMM websites for the regulations in your State, since they do vary. You can also check with the State, if you can find the regulations. The two Churches have links to the State info, which saves a search.

Make sure you know how to do the ceremony legally wherever you are doing the ceremony and make sure any pre-conditions are met.