How to Perform a Wedding in Alaska

3 Alaska Officiant Requirements

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

Alaska's Top Wedding Spot

Fly via helicopter to tie the knot at the top of Mendenhall Glacier

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 Alaska marriage license from the appropriate office. This license is valid for 90 days, and there is a 3-day mandatory waiting period between when the couple receives the marriage license in Alaska and when the ceremony may be legally performed. Please be aware that the signed license must be returned to the issuing office before its date of expiry.

At the Universal Life Church we receive several calls from wedding officiants in Alaska, 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 Alaska 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 How to Hold a Wedding in Alaska

If you are planning to perform a wedding ceremony in Alaska, you should keep in mind that several months of the year are very cold and dark. In fact, in the northern most portions of the state some towns can experience up to two months of perpetual darkness. This could potentially have a major impact on wedding planning. Depending on the location of the wedding, and if the couple is using one of the popular outdoor wedding venues in Alaska, you may need to plan for snowy weather and terrain. Plan to have a mode of transportation that can handle icy conditions at any Alaska wedding locations. And while many areas have lovely warm summer weather, there are some places that have constant snowy conditions so you will need to plan ahead. The amount a wedding officiant should charge in Alaska varies based on things such as the experience of the officiant, the difficulty or complexity of the ceremony, and distance they will be asked to travel. If you are wondering what to charge a couple for your services in Alaska, keep in mind this can also vary as widely as the climate. Couples hosting at Juneau or Anchorage wedding venues will have higher average prices for the same services that will be less expensive in rural areas. A good way to get a starting figure is to see what the going rate is for ministers who are offering similar services.