Making Your Marriage Legit: The Marriage License

Obtaining your marriage license isn't necessarily the funnest thing to think about when you're planning your backyard wedding, but it is an administrative task that needs to be dealt with at some point before the ceremony. That is, if you're planning on having your marriage legally recognized, you know, which is kind of the point.

The licensing process varies from place to place. For example, in Baltimore, Maryland, you can obtain a license on weekdays from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM, although it looks like you can also receive the license by mail. After that, you need to wait at least 48 hours, and no longer than six months to get married. And it's only valid if you're getting married in Baltimore County (although you don't necessarily need to be living in Baltimore County). The fee for the marriage license, as of August, 2011, is $35.

If you do an online search for marriage license, you can learn more about the steps required to receive certification in your location. I've never applied for one for myself, but it seems that it is similarly complicated to getting your first driver's license (and perhaps a little more so). I only hope that the courthouse isn't as much of a pain in the butt as the DMV.

You can find more details about requirements for the marriage license (such as age restrictions and having proof of termination of marriage if you were married previously) on the US Marriage License Laws site, although you should probably double-check with your local government agency to be sure.

There isn't really any difference in getting a wedding license if you're holding a backyard wedding than if you're holding a traditional one. Just make sure that the license doesn't blow away when you're signing it with the officiant after your ceremony!

Image source: Flickr.