1. Get Licensed to Wed
The requirements to legally prepare for marriage vary by state. Most states require a marriage license. Both the bride and groom must be present to sign, unless the missing individual completes an Absentee Application. States may require you to wait 1 to 5 days between receiving the marriage license and getting married. Plan to bring proof of your ages, such as your birth certificate, or parental consent. Forms of identification include a driver's license, passport, Military ID or a state issued ID. Also bring your social security card, a completed application, proof of divorce for any prior marriages and the results for any required blood tests. Most counties charge a fee, so find out what types of payments the county clerk accepts. Marriage licenses may have an expiration date.
2. Legally Wed in Another Country
Many couples hold the wedding ceremony in an exotic location, such as Mexico or the Bahamas. If you don't want to have a separate ceremony in the United States, you need to follow the marriage laws for the country where you marry. In some countries, filing an affidavit of your eligibility to marry in the US with the US Embassy may be sufficient. Some countries may require couples to reside in the country for a minimum of 7 days prior to getting a marriage license. In some cases, the United States may not recognize a wedding conducted outside of the US.
3. Say I Do
Once you get your marriage license, you must participate in the wedding ceremony. The type of ceremony doesn't matter, as long as the state recognizes the person's ability to marry you. In the majority of states, two witnesses must be present at the ceremony, and they must sign the marriage license to validate it. After the ceremony, the couple or the person who performed the marriage typically must send in a record of the ceremony to the appropriate county or state agency. Many states send out official marriage certificates once they receive the paperwork for the ceremony. In the event the state doesn't receive the paperwork, the marriage won't necessary be nullified, but it makes it harder to prove that you're married.
4. Live Under Common Law
Under US marriage laws, some states and counties recognize a couple as married without a marriage license or wedding ceremony. In these states and counties, couples must fulfill three requirements. They must live together for a significant amount of time, not necessarily defined in any state; the couple must refer to one another as spouses (i.e., call each other husband and wife, or use the same last name); and the couple must intend to be married. If the state recognizes a common law marriage, the spouses receive the same legal treatment as any other legally wed couple.
