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Self uniting marriage license

Jessi16Jessi16
First Comment
in Pennsylvania-Central
Is anyone planning on having this type of license or has done this in the past? My fiance and I are planning on having this marriage license in Dauphin County but I want to make sure it really is possible. Thanks in advance for any information.
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Re: Self uniting marriage license

  • shellbell026shellbell026
    2500 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I know Steeser knows about these.  I am not sure how it works though.   Sorry I couldn't help. 
    Michelle and Chris 10.10.10 ~Planning Bio~Updated September 12th~ 10/10 Siggy challenge: Walking down the aisle Photobucket
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  • CynikettECynikettE member
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    We're also planning on getting one.  I heard they give you them without question in Lancaster county, but legally, they're supposed to give them to you regardless because they're not allowed to ask your religion.

    I'd love to hear any personal experiences!
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  • caracbearacaracbeara member
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    My husband and I did a self uniting marriage. We applied for our license in Philadelphia county and had no problems though it did cost more than a traditional license (I think by 10 dollars). 

    We wrote our own ceremony and then had a friend "marry" us by serving as the officiant. Our wedding was fairly large.  We signed our license during the ceremony as did our friend plus my sister (they served as our 2 witnesses). Then we mailed it in and that was that! 

    When we got back from our honeymoon, a certified copy of our marriage license and marriage certificate were waiting for us in our mailbox. Easy as pie!
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  • tenofcups4metenofcups4me member
    2500 Comments 5 Love Its Combo Breaker
    edited December 2011
    DH and I used a self-uniting license. We got it in Harrisburg (I guess that's Dauphin County?). We had no problem getting it except the woman at the desk wasn't all that familiar with it so she had to keep asking someone else questions about to fill out the preliminary paperwork.

    We had no officiant -- just the two of us "leading" the ceremony. But our wedding was very small, just us, parents, sisters, and their families.
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  • steeser03steeser03
    500 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Self uniting is super easy. We got ours in Dauphin County. Just make sure when you go to get your license you ask specifically for self uniting. Its the same price and same questions, the only difference is that there isnt a space for an officiant, just yourselves and two witnesses.

    We had my cousin do our ceremony, he is ordained online but in Pennsylvania that doesnt qualify as an officiant.

    Every few months youre going to see someone freaking out on one of the boards about this type of license questioning if its legal because some uneducated person told them that it wasnt. Don't worry. Its perfectly legal.

    You can get your license as far as 60 days in advance of the wedding, but no fewer than three days. In Dauphin County you can take it with you the same day, other counties have a waiting period. Both you and your FI will need to go. You'll each need some form of ID and if either of you have been married previously you'll need your sealed divorce decree. You do not need your birth certificate, but you do need to know the state in which both of your parents were born.

    Good luck!
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  • Jessi16Jessi16
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Thank you so much for all the information!
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  • allilynnwaitallilynnwait member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    one of my friends did it. it is some kind of quaker loophole. they had a friend perform the ceremony parts kinda leading the way but they did use that type or marriage license
    This newly wed has got a honeymoon bun in the oven!
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  • sugarplum34sugarplum34
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    This was so helpful and wonderful to hear. My fiance and I are looking to get married in Hershey in October 2011 and we wanted a friend of ours to perform the ceremony since she was going to get ordained online...after finding out that she wouldn't be able to legally perform the ceremony, we found out about the self-uniting marriage license. What a lifesaver! I haven't applied for the license yet, but now I know to ask for it first, that it will cost the same, and they won't ask for a religious offiliation to give it to us. You post has really taken some unwanted stress off my shoulders! Thank you!
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  • klbyrnesklbyrnes
    First Comment
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_pennsylvania-central_self-uniting-marriage-license?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:107Discussion:cb239517-14e8-411e-ab81-4429707865f2Post:38bfb137-306b-4547-8dc6-8670dd75367c">Re: Self uniting marriage license</a>:
    [QUOTE]My husband and I did a self uniting marriage. We applied for our license in Philadelphia county and had no problems though it did cost more than a traditional license (I think by 10 dollars).  We wrote our own ceremony and then had a friend "marry" us by serving as the officiant. Our wedding was fairly large.  We signed our license during the ceremony as did our friend plus my sister (they served as our 2 witnesses). Then we mailed it in and that was that!  When we got back from our honeymoon, a certified copy of our marriage license and marriage certificate were waiting for us in our mailbox. Easy as pie!
    Posted by caracbeara[/QUOTE]

    <div>Sp helpful! Thanks!</div>
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  • teaemanuelteaemanuel
    First Comment

    Am thinking about doing this but I still have question about it.
    What is the waiting period? and is this legal?

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