How to Officiate a Wedding in Lubbock, Texas

If you’re a true southerner at heart, there’s no better place under the big, blue Texas sky to get married than Hub City, otherwise known as Lubbock. Even True West Magazine named it America’s number one “true western town,” and we have to agree; for a growing metropolitan city, Lubbock is still as rich in cowboy culture as ever -- and the perfect place for a swanky Southern soiree.

Whether you’re getting ready to get hitched yourself, or you’ve been asked to officiate a wedding for a friend of yours, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve got you covered with all the need-to-know info about how to get legally married in Lubbock, plus how to become a legal wedding officiant! By the time you’re done reading our guide, you’ll be ready and rarin’ to go!

Step 1: Get Ordained with American Marriage Ministries

Let’s start with the ordainment process. In Texas, any officer of a religious organization authorized to conduct marriage ceremonies is permitted to perform wedding ceremonies, including internet ministers.

If you have been asked to perform a wedding for a dear friend or family member but you don’t have any credentials to do so, you can get ordained with AMM for free in just a few minutes!

Texas does not require ministers to register their credentials with the state, so once you’ve completed the process of signing up to become a minister with AMM, you can start officiating weddings! It’s that easy.

Step 2: Prepare for the Ceremony in Lubbock County

We can also help you prepare for the wedding ceremony itself. Being asked to officiate a ceremony is an honor, but can feel like a lot of pressure. You will appreciate our wedding training pages, which are a library of information to help you prepare for your first ceremony and ensure that it goes smoothly. 

Here you can find everything from sample wedding ceremony scripts, to brainstorming prompts, tips for preparation, and more.

Step 3: Officiate the Wedding and Complete the Marriage License

When it comes time to the marriage license, it’s the couple’s responsibility to obtain it from the Lubbock County clerk’s office prior to the wedding, but just be sure to double-check that they have it in their possession before you perform the ceremony.

On the day of the wedding, you will help them complete it correctly and notarize it. Then, you can either hand deliver or mail the completed marriage license to the Lubbock County clerk’s office at 904 Broadway, room 207. You have 90 days from the issuance date to do so.

To obtain your marriage license, both members of the couple will need to head down to the county clerk’s office at 904 Broadway, room 207. 

When you go, just remember to bring:

• Valid state-issued ID (driver’s license, military ID or passport, etc.)
• Social security number (the card is not necessary)
• $82 for the marriage license fee (no checks accepted)

Once you have completed your application, you will be issued your marriage license! After three days, you can have your ceremony. Your officiant will be responsible for helping you complete this form on the day of the wedding and returning it to the county clerk’s office afterward.

Also note: couples that complete a state approved premarital education “Twogether in Texas” course can get the marriage license fee reduced to $22 and the 72-hour waiting period waived if they present their completion certificate when applying for the license.

The Basics

Now that the legal to-dos are checked off, you can focus on the fun stuff, the actual wedding planning!

When narrowing down your wedding date, take note of Lubbock’s highly attended festivities so you can steer clear of a weekend with heavy traffic and scarce parking. For example, the ABC Pro Rodeo, the Lubbock Art Festival, the Vines and Wines Festival in the spring and the JABFest, Buddy’s Birthday Bash, the National Cowboy Symposium in late summer all draw in huge crowds, which you’ll want to avoid. 

Weather

If you’re from Lubbock, you already know about the crazy weather here. Back in 2013, Hub City was even named the "Toughest Weather City” in America according to the Weather Channel. In one day, it may change from cold and windy to scalding hot to rainy! The capricious weather makes life a little more exciting, but you don’t want any extra excitement on your wedding day.

The average daily high in the coldest months -- January and February -- is a mild 55 degrees, but mornings typically start out below freezing. It starts to warm up fast in March, with average highs in the upper 60s, and by May, it heats up to the 80s. From June through September, average highs are in the low 90s. September through November are great months for weddings, with temperatures in the 70s.

If you’re concerned about inclement weather, choose a venue that has an indoor reception area (in addition to an outdoor area) so that you can be flexible with your set-up depending on the forecast.

Speaking of which, Lubbock has more than a few good options for local couples. Berklee Hill Vineyards, Bella Vie’s wedding and event center, Spirit Ranch, and the Fiesta Center are all highly-rated event venues just minutes from the center of town. But also note, if you want to branch out of the city limits when choosing your venue, feel free to do so -- your Lubbock-issued marriage license is valid anywhere in the state.

Transportation

It’s easiest to get around Lubbock by driving. You can get from one end of the city to another in about 20 minutes this way, and there is usually little traffic. So, if you’re coming in from out of town, it may be worth it to rent a car during your stay. However, if you need to save a few bucks, you can also utilize the city’s public transportation system, which now has a handy live bus tracking app so you know exactly how far your bus is from your stop. But if you want to skip the hassle of renting a car or navigating the city via bus, ride-sharing apps, including Lyft and Uber, are both available in town.

That’s it for our guide! Good luck with your wedding planning, and as they say in Lubbock, wreck ‘em!