Lawfully Wedded

The flowers, the music, the food, the dress. Yes, those are important elements to your wedding, but at the end of the day, there is only one element that matters: the marriage license. Without this little document, all of your preparations and planning is just for a big party, not a wedding. Yet this piece of paper is often forgotten about or left until the last minute.

Marriage license laws and requirements vary state to state and sometimes even county by county. The best way to find out what you need to do is call the Marriage License Bureau in the county that the wedding will take place in. It’s essential to plan ahead because there may be a waiting period for a license or an expiration date associated with this document.

Common requirements are :
•Paying in cash
•Applying in person, together with your fiancé
•Picture form of identification (sometimes a birth certificate is also required)
•Decree of Divorce or Certificate of Death if you are either divorced or widowed.

Don’t lose this document! You’ll give it to your officiant before the ceremony after it’s been signed by both the bride and groom. Some states require witnesses to sign it. After the ceremony, the officiant will mail it to the marriage bureau and after it’s been filed, you’ll receive a certified copy in the mail. Make sure you keep this in a safe place.

One helpful hint is to ask for a copy of the certificate before it’s mailed in. This is especially a smart idea if you’ve booked any of your honey moon travel in your married name. The copy will be able to show that although your picture id doesn’t have your new last name, your marriage certificate shows that it’s true.

Before you go to the marriage bureau, call ahead to see if an appointment is necessary. That may depend on the season, so be prepared either way.

Even though this is one of the most important elements to your wedding, it’s a simple process. Just make sure that you put in the proper research and that you have everything required before you go down to apply.

If you have a wedding planner, give the marriage license to them to make sure it gets signed by all necessary parties. If you do not have a planner, then a parent is usually a reliable source to be in charge of this task.

Although this is the least romantic element, it is the only one that will officially say that you are married. And at the end of the day, that’s all that matters!