The Legal Bits: Three Tips for Signing Your Marriage License

When you discover that you have to sign a contract, do you cringe a little? Maybe you’re like me and you get really excited because you know that a vendor has a contract which means you’re both totally safeguarded. Yeah. I know. I’m weird. There’s just something about a little contract in the morning to perk you right up! Contracts are important because they protect both you and your vendor in case something should go wrong. Contracts should be celebrated!

When you get married, I promise that you will sign a TON of contracts. Every vendor will throw one at you, ask you to read it and understand it, then sign it. It can be overwhelming. Vendor contracts aren’t the only contract you’ll sign for your wedding  though. You’ll also sign you marriage license! Yes. This is a contract between you and your spouse and yes...it should be taken seriously.

Think about it. Just like when a contract is broken between you and a vendor could be costly and problematic, breaking a marriage contract and getting a divorce is just as much of a hassle.

​When I’m working with my clients, I take the marriage license very seriously and if you are in the process of planning a wedding, you should take the license seriously too. Here are my top three marriage license tips.

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1. Don’t sign your license drunk. I tell my clients that I will not sign their marriage license if one or both members of the couple are intoxicated. I will continue on with performing the wedding and we can sign the marriage license at a later date instead. My reasoning? When you sign a contract you should be of sound mind, meaning that you should be able to think well enough to make this decision. What you don’t want to have happen, is that you sign your marriage license while under the influence, then decide two days later that you had been coerced by your officiant or your spouse into doing so. Yuck! Can you say “awkward?” Ultimately, it’s important to protect yourself (and your officiant) from any difficulties later on.
2. ​Sign the marriage license right after the ceremony. Why? You are BUSY!!! You don’t need your officiant hanging around, chasing you down to get the marriage license signed! You’ve got pictures to take, people to hug, snacks to eat (and if there’s cheese, I’ll probably take some of that too). You just don’t have the time to have your officiant at your heels. Outside of that, weddings get crazy. I say this having had one. Even though you are all planned up, you begin to realize that nothing actually prepared you for this moment at all. You’ll have a million and one things coming at you at once and it’s overwhelming. Getting the marriage license signed and taken care of beforehand will ensure that you can focus on other items of importance and enjoy your party.
3. Decide who is taking the license in. This is a conversation you will want to have with your officiant. Find out if they send the marriage license in for you or if they require you to take it in yourself. If they do send the license, decide if that is something you would like for them to do. The greatest perk of having someone else send your marriage license in is that you don’t have to worry about where it is. And if you drink a little too much at the reception, you don’t risk misplacing it. If you do decide to take the marriage license in yourself, I suggest asking a trusted friend or family member to hold onto it for you during the course of the evening so that you know it’s in a safe place.
   

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Your big day is going to be amazing. You know it. I know it. You’ve been planning and it’s all finally coming together. Just don’t forget the marriage license! Remember that this is the whole reason you are putting this shindig together! Take the marriage license seriously because it is what legally binds you together. Which sounds a little bit scary when you put it that way, but it is also the best part about choosing to get married. You’re in it all together!