how many married at couthouse?

[songsparrow 0]

Was just wondering if anybody here had the experience of getting married at a couthouse. How does that process usually go? We are thinking of doing this initially and then planning a religious ceremony a little later on.

[mRx 16]

thats what we are doing as well. When your fiancee arrives in the USA, apply for a marriage lisence, then you usually have to wait a few days (depending on which state you are filing your marriage lisence with) before you can actually get married. You make an appointment with a judge at your local county courthouse. And he marries you.

[pj1959us 0]

We were married at our county courthouse. Hopefully your county clerk will have a website with information on how to arrange your ceremony, including the marriage license requirements. Some may say you need a SSN before you apply for the license but check with them if it does...our county's website specified that but it turned out it actually wasn't required.

You will normally need to set up the actual ceremony in advance...if your county doesn't have a website just contact them beforehand to get the details.

The ceremony itself is short and sweet. We were called in to the Judge's chambers at our prearranged time, stood in front of the Judge as he spoke for a few minutes, he read the vows, we affirmed, exchanged rings, kissed, took pics and were on our way.

You might check into receiving the "certified" copy of your license/certificate while at the ceremony...some will provide it that day while others require you to wait for the normal processing times. You will need that certified copy to send in with your AOS documents so if you are going to do that right away after marriage, it would be worth seeing if you can get the copy soon.

Congratulations and best wishes!

[Lennys26 0]

Hiya.

My wife (Spanish) and I were married in a civil ceremony last week. We had applied for the license earlier this month which was nothing more than reading a small pamphlet (at home online), signing a document at the office, showing her passport and my (US) drivers license. $98 later, we had the license.

The civil ceremony was very simple. Arrived, signed a few papers, showed our IDs, then we had the 'ceremony'. (Dont forget a translator, if needed).

What was nice was that we were taken to a 'Wedding Area' in the courthouse building where the actual vows and all were done - also we could take some nice pictures there. It was about 45 minutes in all.

Cheers,

LS.

[de_sjiem 0]

We live in a small town, so our wedding was performed at the local City hall by the town mayor.. It was nice and he agreed to come on a Saturday so that my family would be able to come from Canada :-) It was short and very simple, but nice...

[ChristinaM 0]

My husband and I went to city hall to apply for our marriage licence, and the clerk offered to marry us there and then! I believe waiting periods vary by state, but we could have tied the knot on the same day.

As far as the actual "ceremony", it took us longer to get the rings out of the boxes than it did to get hitched. it was not very glamorous, but it did the job.

[Mags 112]

Yeah, I should think it is what Larry and I will be doing. Neither of us are religious so there is no want (or need) to have a church ceremony. I'd probably burst into flames if I entered a church anyway....

[ninamyers 0]

Yeah, I should think it is what Larry and I will be doing. Neither of us are religious so there is no want (or need) to have a church ceremony. I'd probably burst into flames if I entered a church anyway....

Know what you mean, I don't think I've seen the inside of a church for about 10 years... We married in the county hall in Norwalk, had a very tacky flower thing (whatever those things are called that you stand under) but it was fine. I actually felt sick to my stomach when I walked in there, I dread to think of the nerves I would've had if I'd had a big ceremony first time round!!

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Neither of us are religious either so a church wedding was out. We got married by a friend who is a judge and asked for permission to marry in the gardens of a local historic site. They agreed in exchange for a donation. It was lovely - the hottest day of the year weatherwise, but lovely all the same. Afterwards we went to a local tearoom for refreshments. I wouldn't change a thing - except for maybe having my mother - who had died the year before - there in person rather than just in spirit. My father and 3 of our friends attended.

[Mags 112]

I dread to think of the nerves I would've had if I'd had a big ceremony first time round!!

Oh god me too Maria. The thought of everyone looking at me at a wedding makes me sick to my stomach. I'd rather just slip in a side door, say the vow thingys and run....

Edited December 1, 2006 by mags

[Ladylethal 12]

We got married in a courthouse as well. Get there with our witnesses (Luis's parents) and the judge ended up perfoming a double ceremony 'cus she was late so it was us and another couple. 'Cus of this she performed the wedding in the hearing room so my sisters-in-law and the other couple's family could sit down and watch. She gave us this 40 minutes sermon on everything that can go wrong in a marriage and then proceeded to having us exchange the rings and say I do. After that we signed and that was it.

[Shemmy 4]

My husband and I went to city hall to apply for our marriage licence, and the clerk offered to marry us there and then! I believe waiting periods vary by state, but we could have tied the knot on the same day.

As far as the actual "ceremony", it took us longer to get the rings out of the boxes than it did to get hitched. it was not very glamorous, but it did the job.

Same here...we could have married the same day and our ceremony was all of 2 mintues .

[Jasman0717 9]

It was a very simple process here in California. We went to the court house, filled out the marriage license application. The witnesses and us had to sign the document and then a 10 minute ceremony later we were married. They even gave us a form to file for the offical certificate which was mailed back to us after about two weeks. Good luck

[Ecalos 0]

That's what Rob and I will be doing.

We want a big wedding later on down the road

[Jasman0717 9]

That's what Rob and I will be doing.

We want a big wedding later on down the road

We want to have a big wedding for the family when we go back to the Philippines!