Beginning July 1, the State of Tennessee will no longer validate marriages performed by ministers who were ordained online.
Furthermore, lawmakers have issued cease and desist letters to all officiants on file who do not meet the new standard. The pointed letter reportedly warns of severe consequences for any "fake" minister who don't comply immediately.
As a part of this effort, the Tennessee Committee of Marital Oversight (TCMO) has formed an elite task force of former special ops soldiers to enforce the law through any means necessary.
When asked why Tennessee would take such an extreme stance on such a private and personal life event, one anonymous TCMO member said, "This is Tennessee. We can't just have anyone marrying anyone, willy-nilly. We're not Kentucky."
He went on to say that only real ministers, ordained by a true church, and elected officials have the spiritual authority to read 1 Corinthians 13 out loud to wedding attendees with the conviction it deserves.
The new law also reportedly puts restrictions on flower girls ordained online.