how to become an ordained minister in texas

The next step will be to get in touch with marriage officials in your area (usually a county clerk's office). Inform them that you are ordained through the Universal Life Church, and ask whether they will need you to show any documentation or fill out any paperwork prior to the ceremony.

Choose the county you'd like to contact from the dropdown menu below to see their office's information.

Select your County Clerk to quickly generate the contact information for your local marriage authority.

4 How to Perform a Texas Wedding Ceremony

Texas's Top Wedding Spot

Tie the knot on tiny Marriage Island, on a curve of the San Antonio River

With all the pre-wedding steps completed, you're ready to perform the ceremony! It's always prudent to double check that the couple has handled legal aspects on their end, such as obtaining the marriage license. Some key details to know about Texas marriage licenses:

A Texas marriage license is good for 90 days, so the ceremony will need to be performed within that window of time.
Texas law mandates a 3-day waiting period after the marriage license has been picked up. That means if the wedding is on a Saturday afternoon, the couple needs to pick up their marriage license before the preceding Wednesday afternoon.
Finally, the signed license needs to be returned back to the same office that issued it within 10 days of the wedding.

As you can see, there are a few legal boxes that need to be carefully checked off. But once those are all sorted out, you can focus all your attention on the big day! Performing a wedding is a great honor, and the ULC is here to support you every step of the way. You'll find extensive tips and advice about all aspects of officiating ceremonies in the Wedding Training Center. If you're looking for a more in-depth guide to weddings, we also offer numerous books, such as this detailed wedding guide, in our online catalog.