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Q: Do we have to be New York
residents to be legally married in New York?
A: No, as long as your wedding officiant
is registered in New York and is a full-time New York
Resident, your marriage is valid. |
Q:
How much does a New York State marriage license cost and
how long in advance of the ceremony should we obtain it?
A: Currently, a New York State
marriage license can be purchased for $35 -- payable by
money order or credit card. PLEASE NOTE - non-borough
clerks offices currently charge $40 and accept any form
of payment.
A marriage license in New York is valid for 60 days from
the date of issuance. Also, a couple obtaining a
marriage license from any of the New York City or town
clerk's offices must wait a minimum of 24 hours from the
time stamp on their license before they can be legally
married.
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Q: Do the
bride and groom both have to be present while filing for
the Marriage License Application?
A: Yes, the Affidavit and Application
for a marriage license in New York must be signed by
both the bride and groom in the presence of the issuing
clerk. Click
for a listing of all of the Clerks in New York State
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Q:
What if a partner was married previously?
A: If you have previous marriages, make
sure you provide all ORIGINAL documentation regarding
those previous marriages (i.e. the decree date) when
applying. |
Q: Is a pre-marital physical exam or
blood test required?
A: No, neither a pre-marital examination
nor blood test is required to obtain a marriage license
in New York State. |
Q:
What is the legal age of consent for two people to marry
in New York?
A: If both applicants are 18 years of
age or older, no parental consent is required |
Q: What kind of Identification (ID) do
we need to present to the clerk to obtain our marriage
license?
A: The New York clerks accept eight
types of photo Identification. They are as follows:
- Driver License with photograph (from the United
States / any territory)
- Non-Driver Identification Card with photograph
(from the United States / any territory)
- Learner Permit with photograph (from the United
States / any territory)
- Active United States Military Identification
Card
- Passport
- United States Certificate of Naturalization (good
for 10 years after date of issue)
- United States Alien Registration Card
- United States Employment Authorization Card
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Q:
Does an unused New York Marriage license expire within a
certain time frame?
A: New York State Marriage License must
be used... or the ceremony must be performed...within 60
days of the date of issuance printed on the license
itself.
Moreover, you have to wait at least 24 hours from the
time stamp on the marriage license before you can be
legally married.
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For
any subsequent questions, please visit
the City Clerk's Website
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Q: Do you
typically meet with couples before the ceremony?
A: We prefer to meet with the you before
the ceremony to gain a better perspective as to who you
both are as individuals as well as a couple and also to
get your feedback on how you envision your ceremony. In
fact, it is at these meetings where we find out things
that you do not want during your ceremony or any other
dynamics at play (i.e. that your mother is still upset
you're not getting married in a church, your family
appreciates levity during the ceremony, etc.)
At New York Marriages, we do empathize with the fact
that your schedules may already by busy with
work-related responsibilities and planning the ceremony.
That said, we do not deem a meeting as mandatory leaving
it as an option to you and your fiance. |
Q:
Is there a deposit due?
A: Yes. When you employ New York
Marriages as your New York wedding officiant, your
deposit holds the date and time for you much like
protocol in any reservation system. Therefore, New York
Marriages requires a 50% deposit for this reservation.
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Q: What are the acceptable forms of
payment?
A: We accept certified bank checks,
personal checks, PayPal, wire transfers, money orders,
Zelle, Venmo, and cash as valid forms of payment for the
reservation fee. The balance due is not due until the
week of the wedding. |
Q:
What happens after the ceremony as far as the paperwork
filing is concerned?
A: Following your wedding ceremony, one
of the tasks designated to us as New York Wedding
officiants, New York Marriages will mail all pertinent
documentation to the City or Town Clerk's office from
where the New York State Marriage License had
originated. The couple should expect to receive the
official New York State Marriage License within four to
eight weeks. As a courtesy to our couples, we can
provide a copy of proof of marriage the following
business day after your ceremony. In all likelihood, you
will be able to use this copy to set up a joint bank
account and to add your spouse to your health plan.
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Q: I have other quotes from officiants
that are lower. Is there really a difference?
A: Absolutely. While there are other
officiants out there who promise you the same level of
service, we have heard from a multitude of brides how
these so-called expert's lack of experience was evident
to them as well as all their guests during the ceremony.
There is no substitute for over a decade of
public-speaking and writing experience which is what you
have working for you when you hire a New York wedding
officiant from New York Marriages. Case in point, a
bride that hired us was getting married at a catering
hall where we have done several weddings. Our experience
gave us the foresight to know that at that particular
venue there is no outdoor PA system. With a guest list
that surpassed 250 people, amplified sound for the
ceremony was imperative. So, we knew enough to bring our
portable PA system. This is but a minor example of what
can possible go wrong when you . What do you do if the
officiant marrying you is not familiar with the marriage
laws in New York State or has no experience in
anticipating any "ceremonial hiccups" ?
Isn't it just easier to go with the officiant the
catering hall recommends?
There is a minimal advantage to, but it comes with a
huge caveat. Please be very aware that the officiants
recommended by halls more often than not are looking to
do the least amount of work possible for you as a
client. Why? Quite simply, they have no incentive to
work harder for you because they know they will still be
getting subsequent referrals whether they treat you well
or not. We have encountered couples whom have told us
about their experiences regarding "house officiants" not
wanting to meet couples before the ceremony or refusing
to deviate from their script. We are not affiliated with
any venues whatsoever despite numerous requests to
represent some fine establishments. So, we have a vested
interest in fulfilling your needs and giving you not
only the ceremony you want, but deserve. Call or email
New York Marriages today and let us show you firsthand
why NY Marriages is in a class all to itself. |
Q: My cousin got ordained online. So
he's legally able to marry us, right?
A: Probably not. Only the jurisdiction
of New York City recognizes online ordination at this
point in time, So, if you're getting married in New
Rochelle or Nassau or Suffolk County it will NOT be
legal. We often hear couples desire to have someone that
knows them conduct the ceremony so they can inject some
of the couples' personas into the ceremony. At New York
Marriages, we have developed our exclusive Couple's
Questionnaire which for the better part of the last
decade has had an assortment of wedding guests with whom
we conversed thinking the New York Marriages' wedding
officiant presiding and the couple are old friends.
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