3 Things To Consider Before Applying For Your Marriage License

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An Unforgettable Day

A few months ago, my husband and I celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary. During this special time, I thought about our beautiful wedding day. We were married in the church I’ve attended since I was a young child. In fact, my father has pastored this small, country church for the past twenty-nine years. On my wedding day, my dad had two jobs. He walked me down the aisle and officiated my wedding ceremony. I will never the look on my husband’s face when he saw me wearing my off-the-shoulder, satin wedding gown with a royal train for the first time. His smile was priceless. Even though I’ve had ten years to think about my wedding day, I still don’t think it could have been any more perfect than it was. On this blog, I hope you will learn some tips to make your upcoming wedding unforgettable.

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3 Things To Consider Before Applying For Your Marriage License

24 June 2022
 Categories: , Blog

If you are planning a wedding, surely the task of applying for your marriage license is on your list of things to do. However, before you head down to the local courthouse to file your application, there are a few things that you will need to take into consideration. You can learn more about these three important factors below.

#1: Time Limits

Once your application for a marriage license is approved, this license will only remain valid for a certain amount of time. If you fail to get married before the license expires, you will need to apply for a new license before you can legally get married. The amount of time before this license expires will vary from one jurisdiction to the next. Consequently, you will want to check with the clerk at your local courthouse to find out how long your license is valid before completing your application. Waiting to obtain your marriage license until shortly before your scheduled wedding date will provide you with a little wiggle room in the event your ceremony needs to be postponed for any reason. 

#2: Location Of Ceremony 

Obtaining a marriage license in your local area does not mean that you are licensed to get married anywhere you wish. This is because your local courthouse is only authorized to issue marriage licenses for ceremonies that will take place in their jurisdiction. If you are planning to get married outside of your hometown, you will need to inquire about the process of obtaining a marriage license in the jurisdiction where your marriage ceremony will take place. If you are planning to get married outside of the country, you will also want to inquire about whether or not your local jurisdiction will honor your marriage certificate once you return home. 

#3: Intent To Change Name

When applying for your marriage license, you will be asked to provide both the names you and your spouse currently use and the names that you intend to use after the ceremony. If you have not yet made up your mind about your intentions to change your name after getting married, you will need to make this important decision before applying for your marriage license. This is very important since you will not be able to begin legally using your married name after the ceremony unless you list your intent to change your name on your application for a marriage license.