If you’ve been asked to perform a wedding in St. Joseph County, congratulations! Officiating a wedding ceremony is a tremendous honor, though one that also comes with considerable responsibility. This guide will explain how to prepare for a wedding ceremony, how to get in touch with the relevant office in charge of marriages, how to ensure the union is legally recognized in St. Joseph County, and more. Buckle up, we're going to cover the process step-by-step to make sure you understand exactly how to approach this important task.
1 Become an Ordained Minister in St. Joseph County
Step one is an easy one: get ordained as a ULC minister (if you have already done this, great!). ULC ordination is entirely free, available online, and provides the power to perform legal wedding ceremonies! Thanks to our unique online model, the whole ordination process takes just minutes to complete. Get started by clicking the button below!
Key Info for Ministers in St. Joseph County
- ULC Ordination Accepted:
- Yes
- Minister Registration Required:
- No
- Documents Required:
- N/A
- Minister's Residency:
- Irrelevant
- Minister's Minimum Age:
- 18
2 Confirm Wedding Officiant Requirements in St. Joseph County
Now that you're an ordained minister, your next move will be to get in touch with the office that handles marriages and marriage licenses in St. Joseph County. Explain that you’re a minister preparing for an upcoming wedding, and you're inquiring about what documents or information they'll need from you before you officiate the wedding in their jurisdiction.
You'll find contact information for the office in St. Joseph County listed below.
- Office Address:
-
101 S. Main St.
South Bend, IN 46601 - Office Phone Number:
- (574) 235-9635
- Office Website:
- St. Joseph County Office Website
3 Order Necessary Documentation to Officiate in St. Joseph County
Once you connect with those officials, you can head over to our online catalog, where you'll be able to order any documents or supplies they require of you. While ultimately this will depend on the specific guidance you receive when speaking with local officials, we typically advise ministers in St. Joseph County to get the Classic Wedding Package.
4 Officiate a Wedding and Fill Out the St. Joseph County Marriage License
Finally, you're now ready to perform the wedding! If it’s your first time officiating, be sure to check out our wedding training center for more in-depth guides to everything related to weddings. And for those more experienced: take a look, too! There are lots of useful tools that could help make your job easier.
After the ceremony is over, don't forget to complete the final task: filling out the marriage license. In St. Joseph County, this license is valid for 60 days, there is no mandatory waiting period, and the completed license must be returned before its listed expiration date. Please visit our marriage license training guide to learn more about how to fill out this document.
- Marriage License Waiting Period:
- 0 Days
- Marriage License Valid For:
- 60 Days
- Return Within:
- By Expiration
How to Write a Wedding Officiant Script in St. Joseph County
Wedding officiants in St. Joseph County regularly reach out to our support team seeking guidance on what words to use during a wedding ceremony following their online ordination.
After ensuring all the legal elements are in order, the fun phase begins – planning and conducting the ceremony itself! We certainly acknowledge that this might be a bit overwhelming, especially for first-time wedding officiants... so we've built a bunch of tools to help out officiants of any level.
For St. Joseph County wedding officiants, we highly recommend consulting our previously mentioned helpful wedding guides. Furthermore, we suggest making the most of the other free resources on our website, such as our wedding ceremony script generator. This unique tool empowers you to input specific details about the planned ceremony and the couple's preferences, resulting in a completely tailored wedding script.
Officiants should explore some of our online sample wedding scripts as well. These pre-written ceremony scripts can be printed and used as-is or serve as additional inspiration as you create your own script in conjunction with the couple. In any case, they are both great script resources for any wedding ceremony you're asked to officiate. And don't forget, for wedding officiant clothing or other necessities for the big day, our wedding catalog is exclusively available to those ordained by the ULC!
What to Know About St. Joseph County Wedding Ceremonies
St. Joseph County is named for the river that runs through it, into Lake Michigan. South Bend is settled along the river in this county, making for a handsome city with lots of waterfront views. Take advantage of the gorgeous riverfront view for your wedding, the perfect backdrop for an unforgettable ceremony.
