1. How to Become a Minister in Providence County

Your first move will be to fill out an ordination application and become a minister! (Note: you can skip this part if you've already signed up). Ordination from Get Ordained™ is provided via the Universal Life Church, an organization that ordains people from all walks of life – for free – online! The ULC welcomes anyone who feels so-called to join its ministry. Best of all? The entire application can be completed in just a few minutes. Once your application is processed, you'll be granted the authority to officiate legal wedding ceremonies! To get started, please click the button below.

Important Info for Ministers in Providence County

ULC Ordination Accepted:
Yes
Minister Registration Required:
No
Documents Required:
N/A
Minister's Residency:
Irrelevant
Minister's Minimum Age:
18

2. Learn Providence County Marriage Requirements

After getting ordained, it's time to contact the office that handles marriage licenses in Providence County. Kindly inform them that you’re an ordained minister and you'd like to inquire about what types of credentials or other documents they require from wedding officiants before performing a wedding. They should be able to walk you through the process and explain any local rules or regulations that apply. Please find contact information for the office in Providence County below.

Office Address:
25 Dorrance Street,Room 104
Providence, RI 2903
Office Phone Number:
(401) 421-7740

3. Who Can Officiate a Wedding in Providence County?

The answer is anyone, including you! (So long as you get ordained first). Weddings aren't exactly known for being easy on one's bank account, but one increasingly common strategy couples are using to cut costs and further personalize their ceremony is to ask someone they know – like a friend or loved one – to officiate.

Being asked to perform a wedding is a great honor. Not only will you be presiding over the formation of a new union, but serving this important role also illustrates a deep bond of trust and love between yourself and the couple. The thing is, not everyone knows it's possible to personalize the ceremony this way! If you're close with two people who are planning to marry, you could always toss out the idea of officiating their ceremony in case they aren't aware of this option.

Average Cost of a Wedding in Providence County:
$49,800

4. What You'll Need to Officiate in Providence County

The office issuing marriage licenses in Providence County should be able to clarify what, specifically, you'll need to order. A popular item in Providence County is the Classic Wedding Kit, although what you order might change depending on the office's particular needs.

With most of the legal stuff out of the way, it's time to officiate the wedding! If you've never performed a wedding before, or it's been a while and you need a brief refresher, consider taking a look at our wedding training center, home to all of the tools you'll need to perform the wedding of a lifetime.

5. How Providence County Marriage Licenses Work

Once the wedding ceremony is finished, you and the couple have one last important responsibility: signing and returning the marriage license. The marriage license is valid for 90 days in Providence County, and once it has been picked up there is no mandatory waiting period before the wedding can actually take place. Remember, the marriage license has to be returned within the time limit set by the issuing office, so don't delay!

Additionally, it's worth double-checking that it has been filled our properly before returning it. This is a legal document, so you'll want to take the time to ensure there are no errors. If you need assistance on how to fill out the marriage license, please take a look at our marriage license training page for in-depth guidance.

Marriage License Waiting Period:
None
Marriage License Valid For:
90 Days
Return Within:
Within 72 hours of ceremony

6. Performing a Wedding in Providence County

Providence County is a melting pot of cultures. The people here are very diverse, offering a broad range of restaurants and quality vendors to choose from to cater a wedding. Nightlife in cities like neighboring Boston keep the culture fresh, largely because of the large university presence in the area. Not only are there Ivy league colleges, but streets like Thayer or Lark are a perfect place to host a reception dinner with family and friends. Providence is also chock-full of nature and has various parks such as Roger Williams Park, Lippits Memorial Park, and Blackstone Park. Commuting all over the county is very easy as it's a small area, and everything is nearby.

7. What You Should Do Now for a Wedding in Providence County

The summers here are typically very warm with plenty of sunshine. In the winter the weather shifts radically to cloudy and rainy days with snow in December.

Now that you know all the little details about officiating weddings in Providence County, don't forget to actually sign up as an ordained minister with the ULC! All you have to do is click on the button below and you'll be on your way to officiating weddings in no time!

Now that you're ordained, you can go perform completely legal wedding ceremonies in Providence County!