The Rundown: Marriage Licenses vs. Certificates

The Legality of Weddings

Wedding Planning - 12/3/2021

Is there any point of going through all the stress and planning of a wedding if in the end it isn't legal? The legality of your wedding is where the marriage licenses and certificates come into the play. At the end of the day, they are pretty much all you really need to get married. In this blog post, The Oklahoma Bridal Show provides everything you need to know about the legality of your wedding and how it all works.

Here is everything that you need to know about marriage licenses and certificates:

● What are they? A marriage license is the legal document that is signed during the wedding, or after the ceremony, that is then returned to the county. Once you return the signed marriage license, you will then receive a marriage certificate, certifying that you are married.
● Where do I get a marriage license? The best place to get a marriage license is at your county clerk. Both parties will need to bring a valid form of identification. Making an appointment ahead of time is the best way to go about it so that you do not have to wait in a lot of lines, especially with pandemic delays.
● What documents do you need? This is dependent on the state that you are located in. For Oklahoma, both parties will need a form of identification such as a certified copy of your birth certificate issued by the state or county, State I.D., Military I.D., other state or federal document issued as proof of identity and age, valid driver's license, or valid passport. There will also be a fee when picking up the license, so be prepared for payment. For more information about getting a marriage license in Oklahoma, click here.
● Who signs it? When signing the license, there are many different people who will take part. The most important being the couple. The officiant and sometimes two witnesses will also need to sign the license as well. Once everything is signed, the officiant will turn in the license, and you will be given a certificate proving your marriage.

Marriage licenses and certificates go hand in hand for proving the legality of your marriage. While these documents might not seem as much fun as all the other parts of planning a wedding, they are one of the most important aspects of officially getting married. Explore our other blog posts here to learn more about the wedding planning process.