Congratulations! If you've found yourself at this page it is likely that you are either planning to be married or have been asked to perform a wedding ceremony in Santa Clara County. Ordained ministers of the Universal Life Church have successfully performed thousands of legal marriages in Santa Clara County. The information provided below will walk you through the steps one must follow to become a minister and perform a valid wedding ceremony in Santa Clara County, California.

Quick Facts
  • ULC Ordination Accepted: Yes
  • Does Ordination Expire: No
  • Minister's Residency: Irrelevant
  • Minister's Minimum Age: 18

1 How to Become an Ordained Minister in Santa Clara County

Becoming an ordained minister via the Universal Life Church is the first step in the officiating process. Just fill out the ordination form on our website (the process is free) and submit your application to become a minister. Once processed, you’ll officially be recognized as a member of the ULC! Just click the ordination button below to begin.

2 How to Officiate a Marriage in Santa Clara County

After getting ordained, your next task is to reach out to the government office where the couple will be applying for their marriage license (most commonly a county clerk’s office). Explain that you’re ordained through the Universal Life Church and ask them what the requirements are in that area to officiate a wedding ceremony. Marriage officials sometimes ask that you present documentation before they will give the green light to proceed.

Choose the county you’d like to contact from the dropdown menu below to see their office’s information.

Santa Clara County Office

Address:
70 West Hedding Street, 1st floor
San Jose, California 95110

Phone: (408) 299-5688
Santa Clara County Website

3 License to Marry in Santa Clara County

After you've contacted your marriage authority, you should visit our online store to purchase whatever documentation will be required. This could vary widely county-by-county, so be sure you pay careful attention to the requirements given to you by the department that grants marriage license in the Santa Clara County office.

4 How to Perform a Wedding in Santa Clara County

Now that you've done all of the above, you are ready to perform the wedding! Be sure that the couple has picked up their Santa Clara County marriage license from the appropriate office. Please be aware that the signed license must be returned to the issuing office before its expiry.

At the Universal Life Church we receive several calls from wedding officiants in Santa Clara County, after they've received their license to marry by getting ordained online, asking for guidance on how to perform a wedding ceremony. Once the legal matters have been taken care of, officiating a wedding (while a sometimes-daunting task) can be a great deal of fun. We would suggest that new Santa Clara County wedding ministers concerned about the ceremony peruse one of our helpful wedding guides. The minister training section of our website should offer a helpful refresher for more experienced ministers.