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 Indiana. Ordained ministers of the Universal Life Church have successfully performed thousands of legal marriages in Indiana. 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 Indiana.
- 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: 60 Days
- Marriage License Return Within: By Expiration
1 How to Become an Ordained Minister in Indiana
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 Indiana
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 Court Clerk to quickly generate the contact information for your local marriage authority.
Select a county contact
Indiana's Top Wedding Spot
The Granary in New Harmony
3 License to Marry in Indiana
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 Indiana to get an Ordination Package. While Minister registration is not technically required in Indiana you may be required to present proof of your ordination to the county clerk before the marriages you perform will be accepted 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.
4 How to get Married in Indiana
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 Indiana marriage license from the appropriate office. This license is valid for 60 days, and there is no mandatory waiting period between when the couple receives the marriage license in Indiana and when the ceremony may be legally performed. Please be aware that the signed license must be returned to the issuing office by its date of expiry.
At the Universal Life Church we receive several calls from wedding officiants in Indiana, 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 Indiana 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 Advice for Performing an Indiana Wedding
In the Crossroads of America, weddings tend to take place mainly in spring and fall, when temperatures are accommodating and the historic beauty of Indiana shines through. It's always important to plan ahead, but especially in Indiana. There are many remarkable venues Indiana can offer up, and couples may choose to have their special day take place in a beautiful rustic barn, a field at twilight, or a lakeside in the fall. With so many events going on throughout the year, you can even plan a dream wedding alongside a memorable and exciting concert, a boisterous midday parade, or an exciting street fair, all while knowing you will get a good night's sleep. How? Because most cities in Indiana enforce a sound curfew from 11pm to 7am, making sure the streets are as quiet as if you were still in a small town. Whichever road you choose, Indiana is the crossroad that will get you there.
Indiana Marriage Code
Marriage in Indiana is governed by Title 31 of Indiana's Codified 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.Persons authorized to solemnize marriages Sec. 1. Marriages may be solemnized by any of the following: (1) A member of the clergy of a religious organization (even if the cleric does not perform religious functions for an individual congregation), such as a minister of the gospel, a priest, a bishop, an archbishop, or a rabbi. View the Indiana Statutes on the official state site.
To view the in-depth wedding laws for Indiana state:
Indiana Marriage Laws⇓ Show the rest
