Legal Documents | My Wedding Checklist

Wedding Legal Aspects Checklist

Marriage license The wedding ceremony creates a very deep bond – spiritual as well as physical – between two people and, socially speaking, between two families. Our society also requires this union to be legalized through legal documents.

If you are planning to get married then you’ll find the following wedding legal aspects checklist and tips helpful.

Prenuptial (premarital) agreement (optional)
Post nuptial agreement (optional)
Marriage license (payment fee) – you need it before the ceremony
Marriage certificate (more like a remembrance)
Name change (optional)
Mutual and married will
Proof of termination of any prior marriages by death, divorce or annulment
Witnesses and a person recognized by the state (priest, rabbi, judge)
1 or 2 witnesses might have to sign the marriage certificate

Tip #1: You can apply for your marriage license at the local town / city clerk’s office. Sometimes you even have to file in the county where you plan to get married. Marriage license requirementes may differ from each other, depending on the various jurisdictions (state, province, county, etc.) You should check all legal requirements with your local marriage license office or county clerk. If you live in US or plann to get married there, you can find a state by state chart with general marriage license requirements at: www.foreverwed1.com.

Tip #2: A marriage performed in another jurisdiction, even overseas, is usually valid in any state as long as the marriage was legal in the jurisdiction where it occurred.

Tip #3: Depending on the state where you want to get married it is required that couples wait a few days after having applied for a marriage license before they will receive the license. This waiting period varies from one day to one month. Some states, though, do not require a waiting period at all.

Tip #4: Ask for some extra (certified!) copies of the original marriage license (extra fee applies) – especially if you decide to change your name, you will need various of them.

If you liked this checklist, take a look at our most dateiled and complete wedding timeline checklist.
Or feel free to check our recommended wedding suppliers list.