How to Perform a Wedding in Arizona

1 How to Become an Ordained Minister in Arizona

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!

3 License to Marry in Arizona

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 Arizona to get an Ordination Package. Although minister registration is not required in Arizona 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 Arizona

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 Arizona marriage license from the appropriate office. This license is valid for 1 year, and there is no mandatory waiting period between when the couple receives the marriage license in Arizona and when the ceremony may be legally performed. Please be aware that the signed license must be returned to the issuing office within 20 days.

At the Universal Life Church we receive several calls from wedding officiants in Arizona, 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 Arizona 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 Tips for Officiating Weddings in Arizona

Have you been asked to perform an Arizona wedding? Being able to count on sunny skies and low humidity helps with planning what to wear and really opens up options for wedding venues in Arizona. With desert in the south and mountains in the north, there is always an outdoor wedding in Arizona with great weather. Sedona, Arizona wedding venues are always popular locations from January to March, for example. Remember that Arizona does not observe daylight savings, so out of state ministers should double check their clocks when officiating in spring or fall! When deciding what an appropriate charge for ministerial services are, you will need to factor in the location of the wedding, the distance required to travel, and the amount of experience you have. In large cities the prices will likely be higher than in less populated areas of the state. Also be sure to figure in the amount of involvement that you will have. Are you running the rehearsal and acting as a wedding planner and M.C. of the event, or just showing up to officiate on the date of? The level of responsibility you take on will help dictate what a fair price is for your services.