Created and reviewed for accuracy by researchers at the Universal Life Church Ministries
Safe to say that if you’ve landed here on this page, you either have plans to get married in Virginia, or are being asked to officiate a wedding there. If so, congratulations! In the guide below, we’ll discuss in detail what is required to perform a legal marriage in the state of Virginia and what the available options are for couples and ministers.
- ULC Ordination Accepted: Not Generally
- Minister Registration Required: Yes
- 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: 5 Days
1 How to Get Ordained as a Minister in Virginia
Getting ordained online via the Universal Life Church Ministries is the first step anyone seeking to officiate a ceremony should take. The ULC ordination process is free and the application only takes a couple minutes. Best of all? ULC ordinations are good for life! Get authorized to perform legal wedding ceremonies by following the link below:
2 Officiating a Wedding in Virginia
After getting ordained, next you’ll contact the circuit clerk’s office (the authority that handles marriages in Virginia). Explain that you’re an ordained minister with the Universal Life Church, and that you need to know what is required to preside over legal marriage ceremonies in their jurisdiction. Unfortunately, we are aware that many Virginia circuit courts will not recognize marriages performed by Universal Life Church ministers.
Choose your Circuit Clerk below to see contact info for their offices.
Select a county contact
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The ULC is always working to secure the rights of our ministers everywhere, and are always interested in hearing about your experiences on the ground. If you do make contact with a Virginia government official in hopes of performing a wedding ceremony, we’d love to hear about your interaction (whether positive or negative). You can submit that using the box below.
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3 What is Required to Perform Virginia Weddings?
Once you’ve spoken with the circuit clerk’s office to learn what documents they require, you can browse our online store and place an order for those items. As we pointed out above, Virginia has a history of refusing to recognize ordinations issued by the Universal Life Church. While you may encounter a roadblock, many ULC Ministers do attempt the process. If that appeals to you, we’d recommend ordering an Ordination Package (as well as a Letter of Good Standing) to boost your chances of success.
We encourage our ministers to keep us in the loop and provide updates about their experiences working with circuit clerks. Rest assured that the Universal Life Church is exploring avenues to solidify the standing of its ordinations in Virginia. If you go through this process and encounter difficulties in performing a Virginia wedding as a ULC minister, we would invite you to share your story with us by emailing outreach@ulc.org.
4 How to Prepare for a wedding in Virginia
If you do manage to get the green light to perform a legal wedding ceremony in Virginia, the next step is to prepare for the big day! A couple important notes about marriage licenses:
The couple needs to pick up this document themselves prior to the wedding day.
Virginia marriage licenses are valid for 60 days, and there is no waiting period observed.
The completed and signed license has to be returned within 5 days of the wedding.
Once the above details have been relayed to the couple, it’s time to think about the ceremony! Presiding over a wedding ceremony as the officiant is a thrilling experience – but it’s also a great responsibility that requires preparation and planning. The ULC supports its members through every step of this process with the resources and training materials available in the Wedding Training Center. More experienced officiants may have a grasp on the basics, which is why we also offer in-depth literature options in our online catalog, featuring wedding guides like this one.
5 Advice for Performing a Virginia Wedding
For ministers planning on officiating a wedding in Virginia, there are a few important points to remember. Unlike many states, October is the most popular month for weddings in Virginia due to the gorgeous fall foliage. If the couple is considering wedding venues in Virginia around this time, it’s a good idea to book well in advance, as slots fill up quickly. While the climate is fairly consistent throughout the state, for barn or outdoor wedding venues in Virginia, you'll want to be sure you dress appropriately. This means warmer clothes for winter or late autumn.
Alternatively, consider something breathable to beat the humidity if the couple is planning a summertime Virginia Beach wedding. How much should a minister charge for weddings in Virginia? There’s no one simple answer; factors such as travel time, the experience level of the officiant, and the amount of preparation required can all influence the cost of the minister’s service.
Virginia Marriage Code
Marriage in Virginia is governed by Chapter 20 of Title 23 of the code of Virginia. Ordained ministers of 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§ 20-23 When a minister of any religious denomination shall produce before the circuit court of any county or city in this Commonwealth, or before the judge of such court or before the clerk of such court at any time, proof of his ordination and of his being in regular communion with the religious society of which he is a reputed member, or proof that he holds a local minister's license and is serving as a regularly appointed pastor in his denomination, such court, or the judge thereof, or the clerk of such court at any time, may make an order authorizing such minister to celebrate the rites of matrimony in this Commonwealth. Any order made under this section may be rescinded at any time by the court or by the judge thereof. View the Virginia Statutes on the official state site.
To view the in-depth wedding laws for Virginia state:
Virginia Marriage Laws⇓ Show the rest
