State or federal judges, active or retired, can perform marriages. Retired judges who celebrate marriages may accept gifts or payments from the couple. Active judges cannot be paid or accept gifts. A marriage can also be contracted according to the practices of a religion, an Indian nation or a tribe. If these practices require a “celebrant,” they must be in order with the religion or tribe. If couples are planning a court ceremony, you must follow these steps in the order listed: After contacting your marriage authority, you should visit our online store to purchase the necessary documentation. As a general rule, we advise preachers in Illinois to receive an ordination package and add a reputable letter to their order. Although registering a minister in Illinois is not technically required, you may need to provide proof of your ordination to the county official before the marriages you perform are accepted as legally solemn. If you have this proof of your ordination, you can also have peace of mind for any couple you want to marry. Also, please try to leave at least 3 weeks between the wedding ceremony date and your order to ensure you receive all your materials in advance. The wedding day is supposed to be a special and memorable event, and while the focus should be on the celebration, it`s important to remember that a few final steps are needed to ensure the legality of the marriage. The acting Minister must ensure that the marriage certificate is completed after the ceremony. The officiant must complete the requested information, including name, title, and ordination organization (pastor of Universal Life Church), home address, and date and place of marriage.

ARE OUT-OF-STATE MARRIAGES OF SAME-SEX COUPLES RECOGNIZED IN ILLINOIS? Yes. The law provides that marriages legally contracted in other states will be recognized in Illinois. If you are already married, your marriage is now recognized as a marriage and no longer just a civil union. If you haven`t already, you should be ordained online at Universal Life Church. Ordination is free and can be completed in minutes. Thousands of legal marriages are celebrated each year by ULC ministers around the world. Start the process by clicking on the big blue button below! Illinois is home to the shores of Lake Michigan, the rivers and forests of the Shawnee Hills, the fertile farmland of the Plains region, and the cosmopolitan excitement of Chicago. If you want to get married in Illinois, this guide explains in detail the rules and details you need to know to make sure your marriage is legally binding.

Whether you`re a minister hosting a ceremony in Illinois or a couple planning your wedding there, you`ll find all the necessary information below. Section 207. Effective date of licence.) A marriage license takes effect in the county in which it was issued one day after the date of issue, unless the court orders that the license be effective when issued and expire 60 days after it takes effect, provided that the marriage is not invalidated by the fact that the marriage was inadvertently contracted in a county in Illinois other than the county, in which the licence was issued, was solemnly closed. For couples struggling to lock down a venue, Zola`s wedding venue search is a game changer. It makes it easy to search by location, capacity, availability, and type of venue, so you can find the perfect location within budget. If you think you`ll spend about a year planning your wedding, you already have something in common with the vast majority of Illinois couples. In Illinois, weddings take place in everything from churches and barns to convention centers and even historic buildings. Keep in mind that venues in big cities like Chicago tend to cost more and tend to be more upscale (and expensive). If you move away from the concrete-clad cityscape to see something more natural, your budget may be able to breathe a sigh of relief. The further away you get from the Illinois city, the easier it will often be to find what you`re looking for.

You may also find that your budget goes further in winter! However, that`s because winters in Illinois are known to be some of the worst in surrounding states. Frigid temperatures and bitter winds can make this time of year less than ideal for a union, but it`s still estimated that 5% of couples hold their ceremonies when the wind picks up and the snow falls. Amid the hustle and bustle of wedding planning, it can be easy to forget that marriage is a legal contract between you and your partner. That`s why we`re here to make sure your union is legally binding and that everything runs as smoothly as possible. For a marriage to be legally binding, Illinois law requires that you and your future spouse make a solemn declaration at the ceremony in the presence of the officiant that you agree to marry. The public servant must then make an official declaration solemnly establishing your association. Witnesses are not required, and state law does not require the ceremony to follow any other specific format or structure. This allows you to respect your own traditions or customs when planning and executing the ceremony. Once issued, the certificate enters into force the following day and remains valid for a period of 60 days. If the wedding is to take place on the day of the exhibition, the couple will need a court-ordered exception. Once the ceremony is performed, the couple has 10 days to return the signed license to the issuing employee.

If the marriage does not take place within 60 days, the licence must be submitted to the clerk before the expiry date. Official qualifications: Your marriage must be solemnly concluded to be valid. All this means is that someone, usually an officiant, has to perform the wedding ceremony to marry you to your spouse. State and federal judges (active or retired), religious leaders or ministers, or even the county clerk can all serve as officiants. NOTE: The couple must bring an impression (or screenshot) of the confirmation email they will receive when completing the application in person at one of our two offices. No, but you can apply for a marriage certificate for free if you are already in a registered partnership. However, you will be recognized as a married couple on the day of your marriage certificate, not on the date you entered into the registered partnership. Marriage certificate: For your marriage to be legally binding, you must both apply for a marriage certificate. Without this document, you will not be formally married in the eyes of the law. In Illinois, you`ll need to contact the local clerk of the county where you`re getting married to get a valid license (we`ll discuss the process in more detail later).

Once your marriage is consummated and your license signed and filed with the county official, you will receive a marriage certificate as proof of your marriage. Illinois invites non-residents and same-sex couples to marry within its borders. However, it requires that you and your future spouse be at least 18 years old. If both parents or guardians agree on the marriage, a minor who is at least 16 years of age may marry. There is even an exception that if every effort has been made to contact one of the parents or guardians, but he or she is not available, the county official can still issue the marriage certificate with a court order. For most couples, marriage is a relatively simple procedure and does not require the professional help of a lawyer. But every situation is different and you may have specific needs that are best met by a lawyer. If you have specific questions or concerns about your marriage, contact an Illinois family law attorney in your area. CAN OUT-OF-STATE COUPLES MARRY IN ILLINOIS? Yes. The law allows an out-of-state couple to marry in Illinois unless the couple lives in a state and intends to continue living in a state that declares same-sex marriages “null and void.” Not all states that exclude lesbian and gay couples from marriage have laws declaring such marriages “null and void.” If you have questions about your state law and can get married in Illinois, we recommend calling the Lambda Legal Assistance Service or the ACLU at the numbers listed below: Illinois is home to many beautiful historical sites and gorgeous skylines, so it`s no wonder some couples are tempted to enjoy the view. However, if your wedding activities are on public land, you may need to check if you need a marriage license. This can range from bridesmaid photo shoots to the ceremony itself.

The license takes effect the calendar day after the couple signs in one of the two offices and is valid for 60 days thereafter. If someone was not allowed to marry, the marriage is probably still valid. The law states that a marriage “is not invalid because the person who solemnly contracted the marriage was not legally qualified to solemnize it if one of the parties to the marriage believed that he was so qualified.” To perform a marriage in Illinois, the person must be at least 18 years old. When this requirement is met, a number of public servants are considered legally acceptable, including an active judge, a retired judge (unless removed from office), a mayor or civil servant, an employee of a county of at least 2 million people, the head of a Native American nation or tribe, or the head of a religious organization. Clergy ordained by Universal Life Church are considered religious leaders and are therefore legally qualified to marry a couple in Illinois. The State shall not discriminate on the basis of the sex, place of residence or personal beliefs of the official. However, there is a provision that retired judges and mayors cannot charge a fee for holding the ceremony.