Marriage Ceremony Services Guidelines

Once a marriage license is issued, a marriage ceremony must be performed within 90 calendar days from the day of purchase of the license. The couple is to present the original marriage license to the person who will be solemnizing the marriage (see Authorized Persons to Perform Marriage Ceremonies).

• A public marriage requires four people.
  • Two unmarried persons
  • Person solemnizing the marriage
  • One witness
• A confidential marriage requires three people.
  • Two unmarried persons
  • Person solemnizing the marriage

After the ceremony, the person solemnizing the marriage is to complete the officiant’s portions of the marriage license in permanent black ink and obtain complete address and signature(s) of witness(es) (if applicable).

• Enter the date, city, and county of the marriage
• Printed name of officiant, signature, title, and religious denomination, if clergy member
• Complete address(es), printed name(s) and signature(s) of witness(es)
• Solemnizer is to return the completed original marriage license to the Recorder-County Clerk in the county in which the license was issued within ten days of the marriage ceremony.

Civil marriage ceremonies are also performed in our offices by Deputy Commissioners of Civil Marriage. Currently, marriage ceremony services are provided at the time of issuing of a marriage license, by appointment only.