Created and reviewed for accuracy by researchers at the Universal Life Church Ministries
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 Alabama. Ordained ministers of the Universal Life Church have successfully performed thousands of legal marriages in Alabama. The information provided below will walk you through the steps one must follow to become a minister and perform a valid wedding ceremony in the state of Alabama.
- ULC Ordination Accepted: Yes
- Minister Registration Required: No
- Minister's Residency: Irrelevant
- Minister's Minimum Age: 18
- Marriage License Waiting Period: 0 Days
- Marriage License Valid For: 30 Days
- Marriage License Return Within: By Expiration
For more specific information about performing a wedding in certain parts of Alabama, choose a location below. If your area isn't listed, don't worry - just continue scrolling to review the helpful general information on this page.
1 How to Become an Ordained Minister in Alabama
If you haven't already, you should get ordained online with the Universal Life Church. Ordination is free and can be completed in just a matter of minutes. Thousands of legally valid marriages are performed by ULC ministers around the world every year. Begin the process by clicking the big blue button below!
2 Officiating a Wedding in Alabama
Next, you should contact the office of your local marriage authority (typically your county clerk). Let them know that you are a minister of the Universal Life Church in Seattle, and ask what they will require of you to officiate a legal marriage.
Select your Probate Judge to quickly generate the contact information for your local marriage authority.
Select a county contact
3 Alabama Officiant Requirements
After you've contacted your marriage authority, you should visit our online store to purchase whatever documentation will be required. We typically advise ministers in Alabama to get an Ordination Package. Although minister registration is not required in Alabama you may be asked to display proof of your ordination to the county clerks before they will accept the marriage as having been legally solemnized. Having this proof of your ordination can also provide a great deal of peace-of-mind to any couple that you intend to marry. Additionally, please attempt to leave at least 3 weeks between the date of the wedding ceremony and your order, to ensure that you receive all of your materials in advance.
4 How to get Married in Alabama
Alabama's Top Wedding Spot
Gulf of Mexico at one of the stilted beach homes in Fort Morgan, Orange Beach
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 Alabama marriage license from the appropriate office. This license is valid for 30 days, and there is no mandatory waiting period between when the couple receives the marriage license in Alabama and when the ceremony may be legally performed. 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 Alabama, 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 Alabama 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.
5 Wedding Planning in Alabama
If you’ve been asked to perform a wedding in Alabama, there are a few things that are good to keep in mind. First off, unlike in many other states, spring is the most popular time of year for couples to tie the knot in Alabama – 33 percent of all weddings take place between March and May. This means high-demand locales may be booked out far in advance, and couples will be clamoring for officiants during the spring season. If the ceremony will take place at an outdoor wedding location, such as a barn wedding venue, make sure you check the forecast and choose an outfit appropriate for the elements. Outdoor summer weddings are known to be scorching, while springtime can bring with it unexpected downpours. Finally, people often wonder how much a wedding minister should charge in Alabama. The truth is, there’s no simple answer – fees can vary widely based on experience level, amount of involvement, and other responsibilities the couple might need covered. Costs can also vary geographically – in larger cities like Birmingham and Montgomery, for example, you might expect to see slightly higher average fees than you would in less-populated areas of the state.
Alabama Marriage Code
Alabama Marriage Code
Marriage in Alabama is governed by Chapter 1 of Title 30 of Alabama's Statutes. Ministers who got ordained online with the Universal Life Church have successfully solemnized thousands of weddings in the state. Below, you will find that we have reproduced a relevant excerpt of this code.Alabama Code - Section 30-1-7: PERSONS AUTHORIZED TO SOLEMNIZE MARRIAGES (a) Generally. Marriages may be solemnized by any licensed minister of the gospel in regular communion with the Christian church or society of which the minister is a member; by an active or retired judge of the Supreme Court, Court of Criminal Appeals, Court of Civil Appeals, any circuit court, or any district court within this state; by a judge of any federal court; or by an active or retired judge of probate. View the Alabama Statutes on the official state site.
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