ULC - IN THE NEWS - 2025

On an Itchy Dorm Room Couch, They Finally Broke the Ice

Mayarita Castillo first met Jalen Glenn at a party, sitting on an itchy maroon couch, and struck up a conversation. From there, the attraction grew into a relationship and, a few years later, an engagement. Wallis Monday, a friend of the couple from college who was ordained by the Universal Life Church for the occasion, officiated their wedding.

Source: The NY Times

An Engagement Fib That Came True

To secure a hard-to-get reservation, Carrie Seim said she was celebrating a proposal. Little did she know, Clarke Adams was planning one. He proposed that night and they were married less than two years later. A close friend of the couple who was ordained by Universal Life Church for the event, officiated an outdoor wedding at the Palms Hotel & Spa in Miami Beach

Source: The NY Times

Their Best Match Came With the Final Swipe

Illyse Singer and Ty Duncan were having little luck with dating apps until they connected on Tinder more than two years ago and quickly found they had much in common. The couple were wed on Feb. 10 before 60 guests at the French restaurant Pastis in Miami. A close friend of the couple's who was ordained by Universal Life Church for the occasion, officiated.

Source: The NY Times

Eloping in Washington Takes More Planning Than You Think

An impulsive decision to elope requires some planning on the part of the couple in Washington—including finding an officiant to oversee the marriage ceremony. Couples that don’t want to be married by a judge or commissioner can have close family or friends get ordained online through the Universal Life Church.

Source: Cascadia Daily

Falling for ‘the Same Kind of Weird‘

When Jessica Papilla’s sister managed Michael Burnett at Starbucks, she had a hunch he and her sibling would hit it off—they were the "same kind of weird." They consider their first official date to be July 3, 2011, when they went to a parking structure to watch Fourth of July fireworks. The couple were married in January of 2025 by World Famous BOB, a “draglesque star” who was ordained through Universal Life Church.

Source: The NY Times

Wedding Guests Play Kahoot! to Decide Who Gets to Sign Marriage Certificate

Ahead of their upcoming elopement in Ireland, John and Cara Ellman-Yuan legally tied the knot at their home in Kansas City, Missouri. The groom, 31, and bride, 28, had a "very casual" ceremony, with only six other people in attendance — all of whom competed in a Kahoot! game to narrow down the two people who would have the honor of being the marriage certificate witnesses.

Source: Yahoo! Life

A Proposal — and a Wedding Date — That Were Suddenly Moved Up

The current political climate caused Josey Nett and Grace Duncan, who met as freshmen in college, to change their long-term plans. They were married at San Francisco City Hall, ahead of the second Trump Administration, by Ms. Duncan’s cousin, Hayley Duncan, who was previously ordained by the Universal Life Church

Source: The NY Times

They Might Have Bumped Into Each Other Years Ago

Kaley Lockwood and Michael Friedman, who met on Hinge, had once lived a few blocks from each other and had the same commute to work. They began dating in August 2021 and continued to find overlapping coincidences. The two were wed in January 2025. Scott Zenker, Mr. Friedman's best friend, was ordained by the Universal Life Church for the occasion.

Source: The NY Times

A Workplace Crush Heats Up Thanks to Burned Cauliflower Pizza

When Taylor Maki first met Jorge Melgoza at an organization that provides social services to Native Americans, she was immediately smitten. It took him a while to notice. It wasn't until a dinner gone awry that their feelings became apparent. They were wed five years later. Christopher Aguirre, Ms. Maki’s uncle who was ordained by the Universal Life Church, officiated.

Source: The NY Times

At the End of a Road Trip, a Romantic Detour

Elizabeth Solomon traveled the country during the pandemic. She met Gero Geilenbruegge during a stopover in Naples, Fla. — and decided to stay. The couple wed on the Naples beach where they had their first date. The city’s mayor, Teresa Heitmann, a friend of the couple who was ordained by the Universal Life Church for the event, officiated.

Source: The NY Times