Where to get married (SoCal - OC)

[Lights 56]

Hi,

My fiancé and I are waiting for our visa approval… and we want to prepare ourselves for when the next steps arrive.

When we do our POE (LAX), we want to get married immediately (pretty much the next day). My immediate family will fly with me and my fiancé to the US and join us in our court marriage. Our home is in Irvine.

My employer is wanting to keep me on the team, working remotely from my new home in the US. They understand that I will need to take a temporary leave while my EAD is being processed. Because of this, I don't want to delay it any longer than I have to.

Is there a difference in courts/chapels where we can get lawfully married? Do they provide the marriage certificate right away? I heard that some places take up to a month to give you your marriage certificate?

I'd like to change my name. I want to take my fiancé's last name but also keep my maiden name. I have 2 middle names and it seems long to have 5 names… Hear of anyone who wants to remove their middle names and just keep their first and 2 last names? I know it's probably a really weird question.

Once we receive our marriage license, we will file for the AOS (with AP and EAD). Does anyone know if I can do a walk in biometrics before my appointment date?

Thanks so much!

[djv-tco 29]

I am in the same boat. My fiancée and I are looking to get married immediately in order to start the AOS process ASAP.

Since we are a same-sex couple, we need to go to a state where same-sex marriage is legal. We looked up the requirements for a marriage license in the state and county we wish to marry. Different states may have different requirements and wait times. Yes, wait times. For example, the Iowa has a 3-day waiting period before a couple can use their marriage license to marry within the state. However, they will allow you to waive that waiting period for a fee and after a judge signs your waiver application.

After you get married, a marriage certificate will be issued only after your officiant submits it to the clerks office for registration and that may take some time too. Make sure your officiant understands that you need the certificate right away so the license needs to be filed immediately.

So my advice, look up the requirements and prepare as much as you can before heading to the recorders/clerks office.

Good luck!

[ricnally 259]

Lompoc in Santa Barbara County (2 and 1/2 hours from LA) can get your marriage cert to you the same day if you do the ceremony in the morning.

[Lights 56]

I am in the same boat. My fiancée and I are looking to get married immediately in order to start the AOS process ASAP.

Since we are a same-sex couple, we need to go to a state where same-sex marriage is legal. We looked up the requirements for a marriage license in the state and county we wish to marry. Different states may have different requirements and wait times. Yes, wait times. For example, the Iowa has a 3-day waiting period before a couple can use their marriage license to marry within the state. However, they will allow you to waive that waiting period for a fee and after a judge signs your waiver application.

After you get married, a marriage certificate will be issued only after your officiant submits it to the clerks office for registration and that may take some time too. Make sure your officiant understands that you need the certificate right away so the license needs to be filed immediately.

So my advice, look up the requirements and prepare as much as you can before heading to the recorders/clerks office.

Good luck!

Hey,

Thanks for this! I forget you need to apply for the marriage license before you can actually use it. Do you know, generally, how long that takes to expire? I'm wondering if we were to apply for one now, but don't use it for a few months, if that is possible?

Most of our trips are being booked now… with me spending less time in the US and my fiancé spending more of our travel time here in Canada. Since I'll be leaving my family, he's making more trips this way. So I'm thinking maybe we should just get a marriage license in March… even though we may not plan to use it until May/June?

[djv-tco 29]

Hey,

Thanks for this! I forget you need to apply for the marriage license before you can actually use it. Do you know, generally, how long that takes to expire? I'm wondering if we were to apply for one now, but don't use it for a few months, if that is possible?

Most of our trips are being booked now… with me spending less time in the US and my fiancé spending more of our travel time here in Canada. Since I'll be leaving my family, he's making more trips this way. So I'm thinking maybe we should just get a marriage license in March… even though we may not plan to use it until May/June?

I think they vary, too. The license in Iowa is valid for sixty days.

[ricnally 259]

In Lompoc, we got the marriage licence at 9am, married at 10:30am, papers back to the office by noon, and marriage certificate(s) in hand by 4pm.

[mtlguy 59]

check out laguna hills civic center. not far from irvine. pretty much the whole thing can take less than 45 mins. license, ceremony, etc...

[sharky-rex 76]

About the name change - it varies state to state, some will let you change your middle name and some won't. It might be worth to take that into consideration when picking where you'll get married. You could also get it changed via a court order, but from what I've researched, most counties require you to be a resident for a year first. Another option is to get your middle name changed in Canada, but I don't know how that would impact your visa application.

[Lynkali 163]

San Marcos, California (90 minutes south of LA) -- we got the marriage license at 3:30 p.m. and had the nice courthouse ceremony in the same building at 4:00 p.m. They did require an appointment in advance, but once we had the appointment booked (a few weeks in advance) over the telephone, everything in-person was done in less than 45 minutes. We were told to wait a week to get the printed certified marriage certificate, but when we went back and asked, they said we actually COULD have come in the following day, there was no need to wait.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

You can do the Vegas wedding thing if you are in a hurry they have drive through weddings. But poke about this site http://www.herecomestheguide.com/southern-california/search/wedding-venues/ I am sure you will find something you like.

[Lights 56]

Thanks everyone!

I'm less concerned of the name change, I can keep a long winded name if it makes things easier for us.

I am hoping to get the marriage certificate fast so that we can apply for AOS (EAD and AP). I have a wedding back home in 2015… and would need my AP. I'm pretty sure I'll get it before the 5 month mark, but if I don't have to delay my own process I won't.

[aaron2020 11,651]

About the name change - it varies state to state, some will let you change your middle name and some won't. It might be worth to take that into consideration when picking where you'll get married. You could also get it changed via a court order, but from what I've researched, most counties require you to be a resident for a year first. Another option is to get your middle name changed in Canada, but I don't know how that would impact your visa application.

Most states if not all allows a married person to change their legal name to their spouse and use the maiden name.

A court is not needed for a name change after marriage if the spouse's name is added. If it was, then the courthouse would be completely overwhelmed by all the people getting married.

So when Mary Ann Smith maries Bob Jones, she can be Mary Ann Smith-Jones, Mary Ann Jones, Mary Smith Jones, etc. based on the marriage certificate.

[khwaidee1 196]

Try the old courthouse in Santa Ana. You can fill out the marriage license online and schedule your ceremony. Show up, pay the fee, sign the license and the ceremony takes about 5 minutes. Had the marriage certificate in 10 days (went and picked it up as soon as it was ready and got 3 certified copies for future use.) AOS submitted 10/23/12 and EAD/AP received 1/14/13 (had our GC interview 1/15/13 so great timing!)

[noncompute 9]

Thanks everyone!

I'm less concerned of the name change, I can keep a long winded name if it makes things easier for us.

I am hoping to get the marriage certificate fast so that we can apply for AOS (EAD and AP). I have a wedding back home in 2015… and would need my AP. I'm pretty sure I'll get it before the 5 month mark, but if I don't have to delay my own process I won't.

Okay, I'm not sure how it works in Canada but every county in the US has different policies on the way things work. If your end goal is to get it as fast as possible, it looks like Lompoc is your best bet. Orange County will take you at least two weeks to get the certificate (doesn't matter where in OC you do it).

If you apply with your Irvine address for AOS, you'll get assigned to the Santa Ana service center which seems quicker than average with the AOS process.