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 Contra Costa County. Ordained ministers of the Universal Life Church have successfully performed thousands of legal marriages in Contra Costa County. The information provided below will walk you through the steps one must follow to become a minister and perform a valid wedding ceremony in Contra Costa County, California.
- ULC Ordination Accepted: Yes
- Does Ordination Expire: No
- Minister's Residency: Irrelevant
- Minister's Minimum Age: 18
1 How to Become an Ordained Minister in Contra Costa County
Becoming an ordained minister via the Universal Life Church is the first step in the officiating process. Just fill out the ordination form on our website (the process is free) and submit your application to become a minister. Once processed, you’ll officially be recognized as a member of the ULC! Just click the ordination button below to begin.
2 How to Officiate a Marriage in Contra Costa County
After getting ordained, your next task is to reach out to the government office where the couple will be applying for their marriage license (most commonly a county clerk’s office). Explain that you’re ordained through the Universal Life Church and ask them what the requirements are in that area to officiate a wedding ceremony. Marriage officials sometimes ask that you present documentation before they will give the green light to proceed.
Address:
555 Escobar Street
Martinez, California
3 License to Marry in Contra Costa County
After you've contacted your marriage authority, you should visit our online store to purchase whatever documentation will be required. This could vary widely county-by-county, so be sure you pay careful attention to the requirements given to you by the department that grants marriage license in the Contra Costa County office.
4 How to Perform a Wedding in Contra Costa County
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 Contra Costa County marriage license from the appropriate office. Please be aware that the signed license must be returned to the issuing office before its expiry.
At the Universal Life Church we receive several calls from wedding officiants in Contra Costa County, 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 Contra Costa County 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.
