Signing the marriage license

iarguello · October 2010

I see that a lot of couples do this after the ceremony, is there a reason for this? We're having a very short ceremony and I want to sign the license during the ceremony. Ideas?

aerinpegadrak · October 2010

We planned on signing it during the ceremony, then discovered that we didn't actually sign the license, only the officiant and one witness did. So check on that first. If you do sign the license, you can certainly incorporate it into the ceremony if you wish. Just have some music playing; if you have a musically inclined friend, you could have them perform a solo.

iarguello · October 2010

Thanks for the idea! You didn't sign your license? I know that you have to sign in AZ I was a witness on my sister's and signed after she and my bil did.

mysticl · October 2010

Every state is different. In VA we don't need witnesses, only the officiant.
I always figured the after the ceremony thing was because A) it's paperwork, why make people suffer through it and

you aren't married till you are declared husband and wife so you wouldn't sign it before that point.

aerinpegadrak · October 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_signing-marriage-license?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:36Discussion:eb8511ef-24be-4197-8335-58fccc190caaPost:447637d2-7931-4db6-ba5e-62b1525fe31f">Re: Signing the marriage license</a>:
[QUOTE]Thanks for the idea! You didn't sign your license? I know that you have to sign in AZ I was a witness on my sister's and signed after she and my bil did.
Posted by iarguello[/QUOTE]
Yeah, in Nevada, our signatures on the application were sufficient. My sister signed her license as part of the ceremony in Colorado.

karmellah · October 2010

Me as the MOh and a friend as the BM had to sign our friends MLn with the JP

iarguello · October 2010

That makes sense, I just never gave it much thought.

i think that we'll sign it as soon as we say I do, up front while a friend plays a song- it takes a heartbeat and since we're doing a covenant marriage (AZ does this as an alternative or addition to the normal license) it'll make it more pronounced. Thank you ladies!

fairy_diva · October 2010

In WV we didn't sign our license either, just the officiant. We signed everything at the court house hen we applied so I guess that works.

JenO24 · October 2010

we got married in NC so for their marriage license we signed in front of the clert at the court house then only the officant, MOH, and BM (or just 2 witnesses) sign the license after the ceremony.

buckettgirl · October 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_signing-marriage-license?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:36Discussion:eb8511ef-24be-4197-8335-58fccc190caaPost:0b4998ee-2c45-4925-90b9-783cc95659de">Re: Signing the marriage license</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Signing the marriage license : Well, in Arkansas, the ONLY person who signs it is the officiant. You don't need any witnesses and the couple doesn't sign either.
Posted by StageManager14[/QUOTE]
My first marriage was in Arkansas (Carroll County) and I love the marriage license! It is so fancy that I had people here in Kansas tell that it was fake! The ones we have here are just a plain form. I have no idea who signs it here.

aerinpegadrak · October 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_signing-marriage-license?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:36Discussion:eb8511ef-24be-4197-8335-58fccc190caaPost:df58985c-035a-4618-98d6-29062df1b5d5">Re: Signing the marriage license</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Signing the marriage license : My first marriage was in Arkansas (Carroll County) and I love the marriage license! It is so fancy that I had people here in Kansas tell that it was fake! The ones we have here are just a plain form. I have no idea who signs it here.
Posted by buckettgirl[/QUOTE]
We got both from Clark County, NV: the pretty keepsake one, and the less pretty official one. We actually ran into a problem because our officiant and witness signed the souvenir one, but not the legal one! We had to grab them the next day before they left town so we wouldn't be delayed in filing it.

MISSCOURTNEY20 · October 2010

In Illinois, only the officiant signs it. They actually mail it off too.

dibsontop · October 2010

We didn't have to sign ours in DE. Our MOH and BM signed it with the priest at the rehearsal and he gave our copy to the BM the day of the wedding.

Come to think of it, I didn't even open the envelope yet to look at it.

Signing the marriage license

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