how to become ordained in pa

Next, you should contact the office of your local marriage authority (typically your county clerk). Let them know that you are a minister of the Universal Life Church in Seattle, and ask what they will require of you to officiate a legal marriage.

Select your Register Recorder to quickly generate the contact information for your local marriage authority.

3 License to Marry in Pennsylvania

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 Pennsylvania to get an Ordination Package and to add on a Letter of Good Standing. While minister registration is not required in the state of Pennsylvania, it has been frequently reported to us by ULC ministers in the area that county clerks will ask for proof of your ordination before accepting any marriage you perform as having been legally solemnized. 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.

*It has come to our attention that some county clerks in Pennsylvania have made it a habit to distribute slips of paper calling the ordinations of the Universal Life Church into question when one mentions that they were ordained online.

You should know that: 1. government employees like county clerks are prohibited from offering legal advice in this fashion, and 2. Despite these alleged threats, our ministers have successfully performed several marriages in Pennsylvania without issue.

Furthermore, a judge in Bucks county in 2008 (after the Universal Life Church collaborated with the ACLU in a lawsuit against the state) found that ordinations from the Universal Life Church were legal and the marriages performed by its ministers valid. This ruling has held strongly, at least, in Bucks County. We are currently working to get stronger affirmations of the validity of ULC ordination on a statewide level.

We would encourage you to reach out to us if you encounter any difficulties.

4 How to get Married in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's Top Wedding Spot

Just outside Philly, the circa-1850 Glen Foerd mansion

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 Pennsylvania marriage license from the appropriate office. This license will expire 60 days after it is issued, and there is a mandatory 3-day waiting period between when the couple picks up the marriage license in Pennsylvania and when the ceremony may legally be conducted. The signed license must be returned to the issuing office within 10 days of the ceremony.

At the Universal Life Church we receive several calls from wedding officiants in Pennsylvania, 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 Pennsylvania 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 Plan a Wedding in Pennsylvania

If you're due to officiate a wedding in Pennsylvania soon, here are a few helpful tips. While summer used to be the most popular time to get married, now over 40 percent of Pennsylvania couples prefer fall weddings. What does this mean for you? Come prepared! Autumns in Pennsylvania can be quite chilly—the average low hovers around the mid-forties and the average high reaches the mid-sixties. In addition, it is important to understand how seasonal marriage trends affect Pennsylvania's most popular wedding destinations, regardless of whether the destination is Philadelphia's elegant greenhouses or the charmingly rustic Pocono campgrounds. Philadelphia's greenhouses allow for both indoor and outdoor ceremonies, making them an excellent destination in spring, summer, and fall. Camping requires nicer weather, meaning only the bravest couples will risk inclement weather in the spring or fall. If you intend to market your services as an officiant, act accordingly! Finally, people often wonder how much a wedding minister should charge in Pennsylvania, but the truth is there's no simple answer – fees can vary widely based on experience and the level of involvement.