Can we have a ceremony and sign the marriage license later?

Re: Can we have a ceremony and sign the marriage license later?

• AdeleDazeem member

  

  July 2012

  Personally, I wouldn't.  Signing the license is what makes the marriage legal and I don't like any kind of "just for show" ceremonies.  You also might find that your officiant has a problem with this plan.

  
  

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• GoodLuckBear14 member

  

  July 2012 edited July 2012

  In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_ceremony-ideas_can-we-have-a-ceremony-and-sign-the-marriage-license-later?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:10Discussion:67562d52-843f-4799-8c42-c545771c20fdPost:a196e7d8-0b5e-40fc-b51e-74c26a25664c">Can we have a ceremony and sign the marriage license later?</a>:
  [QUOTE]So we are in the process of changing my fionces last name, he was supposed to do this a lot later but forgot or procrastinated or something and now were 23 days from getting married and we want him to have his new name on the marrige so it won't cost us an arm and a leg to change mine after we get married. It takes three days for the marrige license to be valid and I'm not sure how long it will take for his name to be legally changed. Could we do a ceremony for show and then get the lisence and sign the paper work after his name is legal if its going to take too long?
  Posted by Oaubrey[/QUOTE]
  
  No.  What you are proposing is having a fake wedding and this is never ever okay.  I don't know the reason for your FI wanting to change his name but it is a long process.  At this point, I would say to wait until after you are married and then both of you make a name change application at the same time.
  
  I would also add, that people who really want to change their name, do not procrastinate getting this done.

  Proud to be an old married hag!!

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• kmmssg mod

  

  July 2012

  If I was a guest or a close member of your family, I would flip if I found out I attended a sham wedding.  You need to have a real wedding for these people in 23 days.  Let this be a lesson for your FI that procrastinating can be very costly.

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• rsanna member

  

  July 2012

  I agree with Stage.  Yeah your FI screwed up and didn't get it done sooner, but it is not like you had the intention of signing your marriage license on a later date. Talk to your officant and see what he/she says and suggests you do.

  
  
  

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• kmmssg mod

  

  July 2012

  Stage - I guess I have a pretty black and white look at this one.  It is absolutely feasable for them to have the wedding.  The lack of her FI completing the name change doesn't require them to postpone, it requires them to go through more dealings with the courts because he didn't do what he was supposed to do when he was supposed to do it.

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• ElisabethJoanne member

  

  July 2012

  I'm pretty sure a name change takes more than 23 days in every state. You usually have to publish notices in a newspaper, and you'll have to get a court date. My cases are having hearings 60 days from the filing of papers, 6 months from the filing of the case. This varies from state to state and county to county, but, basically, you're not going to do a name change through the courts in 23 days.
  
  Double-check your state's laws about name change at marriage. In California, marriage is an opportunity for both spouses to change their middle and/or last names. In choosing their new middle and/or last names, they can choose from either spouse's middle, birth, or current last names. They can also hyphenate or create new names inspired by any of the 6 choices. [I'm simplifying. Again, carefully check the law in the jurisdiction that will issue your license.]
  
  As for having a church ceremony before a civil ceremony, which is basically what you're talking about because the license usually needs to be issued and signed close to the ceremony, I think the spiritual and religious aspects of marriage should be separate in thought from the civil (legal) aspects. If having ceremonies on separate days reinforces that thinking, great. I am in the minority on theknot in my beliefs, however.

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• Gabrielle76

  

  July 2012

  This wouldn't bother me as a guest.  I don't think it's the same as having a civil ceremony and then having a PPD a year later, it's like forgetting your license on the way to the church.

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