How to Perform a Wedding in California

1 How to Become an Ordained Minister in California

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 California

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 California to get an Ordination Package and to add a Letter of Good Standing to her or his order. While Minister registration is not technically required in California 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 will also provide 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.

There are more ministers who got ordained online with the Universal Life Church operating in California than in any other state! Every month our office is inundated with lovely photos and videos of weddings that took place in the scenic state.

It is important to note that some county clerks in California may require wedding officiants to attach a statement avowing some of the elements in the marriage license upon submission, including the following:

-The time and location at which the wedding took place
-The names and places of residence of all official witnesses
-The religious organization in which the officiant is ordained
-The printed name and address of the officiant

Please note that, when filling out a marriage license, the State requests that you use the title "Minister" or "Reverend", and not "Officiant", in Box #29D.

The County Clerks also require that you enter your denomination, "Universal Life Church", in box #29B. Failing to state a denomination results in a rejection, and requires a duplicated marriage license.

4 How to get Married in California

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 California marriage license from the appropriate office. This license is valid for 90 days, and there is no mandatory waiting period between when the couple receives the marriage license in California and when the ceremony may be legally performed. Please be aware that the signed license must be returned to the issuing office within 10 days of the marriage license signing.

At the Universal Life Church we receive several calls from wedding officiants in California, 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 California 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 California Wedding Planning Tips

If you are being asked to officiate a wedding in California, there are a few things that you will want to keep in mind during your planning. It is the most ecologically diverse state, and California wedding venues can vary from northern alpine regions, to giant redwood forests, to beaches, and even to deserts. This means you should make sure to plan ahead for clothing and footwear choices that are appropriate for the location. Outdoor weddings venues in Southern California are ever-popular, but you will certainly need to plan ahead for the traffic. Los Angeles is world famous for the gridlock on its highways, so you should plan to leave plenty of time for travel to the big event. Fees for wedding officiants in California are dependent on a number of factors. Consider, for example, how much professional experience the officiant has, whether they’ll be required to travel to the ceremony destination, and how much preparation is required. The cost of living is greater in California than most places, and services like those provided by wedding officiants are not exempt -- don't be surprised to see higher price tags than you might in other states.