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 Minnesota. Ordained ministers of the Universal Life Church have successfully performed thousands of legal marriages in Minnesota. 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 Minnesota.
- ULC Ordination Accepted: Yes
- Minister Registration Required: Yes
- Minister's Residency: Irrelevant
- Minister's Minimum Age: 21
- Marriage License Waiting Period: 0 Days
- Marriage License Valid For: 6 Months
- Marriage License Return Within: 5 Days
1 How to Become an Ordained Minister in Minnesota
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 Minnesota
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 County Recorder to quickly generate the contact information for your local marriage authority.
Select a county contact
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Pebble-stone beaches that line the north shore of Lake Superior
3 License to Marry in Minnesota
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 Minnesota to get a Classic Wedding Package. It's been reported to us by Universal Life Church ministers in the state that county clerks in Minnesota also require a Letter of Good Standing - so make sure you add this document to your order! 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.
The state of Minnesota strongly incentivizes premarital counseling. Those who receive at least 12 hours of counseling can get a discount on their Minnesota marriage license. Ordained ministers can legally perform and certify premarital counseling, though they must first be certified to officiate at weddings. By law, premarital counseling in Minnesota must include communication and conflict management training, as well as premarital inventory (and evaluation of the couple's expectations for marriage).
Following counseling, the minister must present a statement using the following language: I, (name of educator), confirm that (full legal names of both parties) received at least 12 hours of premarital education that included the use of a premarital inventory and the teaching of communication and conflict management skills. I am a licensed or ordained minister, a person authorized to solemnize marriages under Minnesota Statutes, section 517.18, or a person authorized to practice marriage and family therapy under Minnesota Statutes, section 148B.33.
4 How to get Married in Minnesota
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 Minnesota marriage license from the appropriate office. This license is valid for 6 months, and there is no waiting period between when the couple picks up the marriage license and when the ceremony may legally be conducted, however there is as a 5 day window between the date of the wedding ceremony and when the signed license must be returned to the issuing office.
At the Universal Life Church we receive several calls from wedding officiants in Minnesota, 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 Minnesota 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 a Minnesota Weddings
The state of Minnesota sees most outdoor weddings taking place between late May to late September, mostly due to the conditions of the weather outside of that period. This will also be most difficult time to book a venue, as couples clamour to lock-in the location of their big day. Should you be asked to officiate a wedding in Minnesota, make sure you are checking your local forecast and dressing accordingly! How much should an officiant charge for weddings in Minnesota? That depends on several factors, including how experienced the officiant is, how much preparation will be involved, and if travel will be required. From rustic barn weddings on one of the many farms in the sweeping Minnesota landscape, to the incredible Minnesota Arboretum which boasts over 23 natural and splendid settings for the wedding ceremony, Minnesota offers a great deal for those who will be coming together in matrimony.
Minnesota Marriage Code
Performing a marriage in Minnesota may seem daunting, but so long as you are wary of the requirements and deadlines pertinent to your situation you should find success. Universal Life Church ministers perform valid legal marriages in Minnesota every month. In Minnesota, marriage is governed by Section 4 of Article 517 of the state's code - we've excerpted this below for your convenience.517.04 Solemnization Marriages may be solemnized throughout the state by a judge of a court of record, a retired judge of a court of record, a court administrator, a retired court administrator with the approval of the chief judge of the judicial district, a former court commissioner who is employed by the court system or is acting pursuant to an order of the chief judge of the commissioner's judicial district, the residential school administrators of the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf and the Minnesota State Academy for the Blind, a licensed or ordained minister of any religious denomination, or by any mode recognized in section 517.18. View the Minnesota Statutes on the official state site.
To view the in-depth wedding laws for Minnesota state:
Minnesota Marriage Laws⇓ Show the rest
