Gay Weddings

ANYONE GETTING MARRIED IN DC??

Hello all!

My fiance and I are going to DC next week !! to get our marriage license and we were wondering if anyone had been up there to do it yet or maybe had some suggestions on what to expect when we arrive.  We are driving from NC and I want to make sure that we have everything we need...the obvious being the application, fee, identification...is there anything else we may need to know that the website leaves out!
Any info would be great!

thanks

Sara and Holli

Re: ANYONE GETTING MARRIED IN DC??

  • 2dBride2dBride member
    5 Love Its First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Here is a listing of the requirements.  Probably the biggest thing to be aware of is the waiting period.  When we got married in MA (before DC had same-sex marriage), it was really easy to get a waiver of the waiting period.  However, in DC they really seem to mean it.
  • alisonzalisonz member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011

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  • edited December 2011
    Congratulations Sara and Holli!!!

    Please let us know how it goes next week for you. Did you already find an officiant?

    I'm in NC too!

    Take care,
    Dana
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • niklynn622niklynn622 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    We were actually just there last Monday to apply for ours and we're going next Monday to pick it up. It was VERY easy!! Basically you fill out the application, have them make a copy of your licenses, and answer a few questions. Once you do all of that they give you a paper to take down the hall to pay for everything. In total it costs $45 and it must be in cash. And they do not give change, so make sure you have exactly what you need. And also, they will stamp the paper as a receipt and you must have that when you go to pick up the license. We were in and out within 30 - 45 minutes and it wasn't even first thing in the morning! I was very impressed with it all!
    Hope that helps!
    Nicole
  • Sara-holli812Sara-holli812 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Thanks so much everyone!
    We are very excited and I can relax that it seems to be an easy task.  I guess because we were used to the challenge, it is hard to believe it was easy!
    I will update on how it goes on Tuesday!

    :)
    Sara and Hollil
  • jenniamjenniam member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    congrats!
  • edited December 2011
    We live in Va, so we plan on getting married in DC as well.  We will be attending the Say I Do LGBT Wedding Expo to get the details on what we need to do to get started planning our wedding.  If you're in town the link is www.sayidoexpo.com.
  • lkrandall424lkrandall424 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011

    We are getting married on Wednesday. The process was pretty easy. You fill out an application, they ask a few questions, make a few copies, and you pay and wait until your date is open. We are actually doing a very small ceremony at the Justice of the Peace to get it legalize so that we can have our formal wedding in Maryland.


    Good Luck and Congrats :)

  • kisha444kisha444 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Where in MD are you having your wedding?  Do you know of any good caterers and DJ's?
  • Sara-holli812Sara-holli812 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Just an update!
    We did it!  We are sceduled for a civil ceremony on Aug 5....!!
    Was very easy! 
  • 2dBride2dBride member
    5 Love Its First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited December 2011
  • jjones5044jjones5044 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    The website says the courts are booked 8 to 10 weeks in advance, is that really the case?  Also, were you able to get the day you requested for your civil ceremony or did they just give you one?
  • charmgirl5charmgirl5 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Hi!  I am new to this site and am really kind of nervous.  Me and my fiance have been together for almost three years and would really like to be legally married.  The only thing is we don't want to have our ceremony in D.C..  I am from VA and would just like to go and get legally married and then come home and have my ceremony.  Can anyone give me any ideas on how to do this?
  • Sara-holli812Sara-holli812 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Hopefully this helps:
    YES. There is a 8-10 week wait...some dates within 6 weeks are open though! Jump on it!

    We are having the civil ceremony in DC....unfortunatly, you have to use the license there.  :(  But we have decided it is going to be just me and Holli....its for just the two of us.
    We are having a committment ceremony on the beach where I grew up with the pastor from my church (we are Lutheran, and most will marry gay couples).  It is the weekend after the date we got in DC. After the ceremony we are having a small reception with close family and friends at the beach house we rented for the honeymoon. 
    Its a lot of hoop jumping...essentially adding another step to the whole process.  HOWEVER....we drove to DC from NC in one day (there and back!) and rationalized the whole way that we should be thankful somewhere in driving distance offered us this unimaginable gift.  We were sitting in that office getting our license and I looked at my girl and realized that she was ACTUALLY going to be my wife!!
    So while I would love to say that there is a way to avoid the DC ceremony, theres not.  However, the experience we shared through the whole process was a unique one and will continue to be our entire lives. 
    My best advice is to do what is comfortable and no matter how stressful it all may seem, those little moments with your fiance will make every mile worth it!!


  • Sara-holli812Sara-holli812 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    and we DID get the date and time we requested!
  • charmgirl5charmgirl5 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Well we have decided to drive up to DC in the middle of the month to see if we can get our license.  Is it a five day waiting period where we would have to stay in DC to get the license or have to drive back in five days to get it and then come back on the date to get married?  Just curious on the proces so we can get our finances in order to see whether we have to stay in DC for five days or what we have to do.  We are trying to get married sometime in August being it is my birthday month and in the summer time.  Please help me figure this out? 
  • Sara-holli812Sara-holli812 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    No, you can't get married after 5 days.  (unless you can find a private officiant who is available)
    While your license is legal, the courts are too booked up for you to go right after you get it.  So yes, you will probably have to make it 2 trips. 
    Someone put a lot of the information up at the top of this post and it was REALLY helpful when we went up.
    Good luck!
  • Sara-holli812Sara-holli812 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Oh and I re-read what you wrote.  You can pick up the license the day you get married....it took us 20 minutes to apply.  Then this lady calls and confirms the date of the ceremony.  You pick up your license RIGHT before you tie the knot!

    Also, we picked August because it is both of our birthday months!  What a great time to get married.  Mine is the 27th and hers is the 29th!
  • jessporrasjessporras member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Do you know if you're able to bring a small group of people with you? Like is there space for people to stand?  Our parents want to come with, but we don't know if we will be in someone's office or if it's a court room...
  • niklynn622niklynn622 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    When we were there applying for our license, there was a couple there who had a few people with them. From what I could tell, you go into a room to get married and there looked like there was enough room for some people...Oh and Sara-holli, we're doing our legal ceremony in DC on my birthday! What a great present! :)

    Nicole
  • MCCWedMCCWed member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011

    Here's a helpful (official) link for anyone getting married in D.C.: http://www.dccourts.gov/dccourts/superior/family/marriage.jsp

    If you are looking to get married in the court, according tot his website, you can have 10-15 guests and the courts are backed up approximately 8-10 weeks. If you are in a hurry, you may want to find your own officiant, but having a court ceremony will save you a lot of $$$.

  • edited December 2011
    Thanks to everyone for all the information!!!  My fiance and I are wanting to get married in August.  We are hoping that they have the date we want.  Congrats to everyone!!!
  • edited December 2011
    We went to D.C. on Tuesday and applied for our license and our we got the date we wanted... 8/16/10..... 2 months from today!!!
  • edited December 2011
    We have a private officiant for our October 11 ceremony, and would like to get married somewhere on the National Mall (by one of the monuments or something).  The city says that there are only three spots you may do this, but they talk about setting up chairs, photographers, music, etc.  We literally want the two of us, our pastor, and maybe three people standing for a two minute, "Do you?  Do you?  God, you're married, kiss her" ceremony.  Does anyone know if we can do this?
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  • edited December 2011
    Cindy and I have 1 WEEK from today!!!!  Then we are going to Rehoboth Beach for our honeymoon.


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