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Having a
Civil Wedding Ceremony
by Rose Smith
With the
number of mixed marriages taking place, many couples are opting
to have a civil ceremony instead of a religious ceremony for
their wedding. This allows them to include special readings,
vows, symbols or wedding themes (whether religious or not) that
they may not be able to include in a religious ceremony or
location.
A civil
ceremony contains no religious elements (except for what the
couple may add) and can be performed in a judge's chambers,
registrar's/lawyer's office or a venue of your choice, depending
on the area in which you wish to get married in. Different laws
apply to different states and countries and you can usually find
out most of the information from the local court house or City
Hall in the city where you wish to be married.
For a
small fee, they should also be able to supply you with a list of
names, addresses and phone numbers of various officiants who can
perform a civil ceremony. To find out more about
U.S.
marriage laws by state, visit:
http://countryweddings.com/planning/statelaws.htm
It's a
good idea to set up appointments and meet with 3 or 4 different
officiant's, as some won't be available on your wedding date and
some you may not like. It is important that you feel comfortable
with the officiant who is performing the ceremony and that you
feel that he/she is interested in you as a couple.
Some
important questions to ask the officiant are:
-
Are you available on this date and are you willing to
travel to the location? If you are planning on having a
private ceremony and a reception later for family and
friends, ask if the officiant can provide a room or location
in which to conduct the ceremony.
-
How long have you been conducting civil ceremonies and
what is your fee?
-
Are you available for a rehearsal and when are you
available?
-
What is the standard ceremony that you use and can we
add our own vows, readings, etc. to the ceremony? Do you
have any sample ceremony sheets that you could provide?
-
What is the procedure we need to follow in order to
obtain a marriage license?
The
officiant should be able to advise you on the procedure you will
need to follow in order to get your marriage license. Here are a
few things that are fairly standard in most areas. You will each
need to have the following documents:
-
a birth certificate and/or passport for identification
(with a picture)
-
a copy of your Marriage Certificate and the
Certificate of Divorce if either of you were previously
married
-
any name change deeds if you had your name legally
changed
-
a utility bill or some other type of document that
gives your current address
-
some areas require that you also provide your father
and your mother's (maiden) names
-
if you are under 18, you will most likely need signed
permission from a parent or guardian in most places.
Some
locals still require couples to have a blood test before issuing
a license. This is probably a good idea regardless of whether it
is required or not. Remember, you're not just marrying one
person... but every other person your mate may have slept with.
Also keep
in mind to budget for the various fees, such as the officiant's
fee (for the ceremony), the registration fee and the marriage
license fee. These vary from location to location.
As with
any marriage ceremony, you will need to have two witnesses to
sign the legal documents once the ceremony is performed. If you
are eloping, often times the officiant can provide the two
witnesses from his/her staff.
All in
all, a civil ceremony is much more flexible in today's world.
You both may incorporate aspects of each of your religions if
you wish, write your own vows and have any type of wedding theme
you want, whereas a typical religious ceremony tends to restrict
much of this. Civil ceremonies also tend to be a favorite with
the budget conscious couple, as they are usually much cheaper in
the long run. Whatever type of ceremony you choose, the most
important thing to remember is do what makes you happy as a
couple. It's your wedding after all.
Rose Smith is the owner of
Wedding Themes and More, a website designed to help you discover
your perfect wedding theme. Find more great ideas, resources and
articles regarding wedding tips for the bride and groom, visit
www.wedthemes.com.
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