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In order to get legally married, you have to obtain a marriage license.
This is true for any country in the world. Each country and state have different requirements and rules in place.
It is important that you document yourself and you know how to navigate the bureaucratic aspect and paperwork requirements.
In California, we have two kinds of marriage licenses: Public and Confidential.
Both are perfectly valid, legal, and recorded however there are some differences:
If you have an occupation in the law enforcement field, entertainment industry, judicial field, government job, medical field, teacher, it is highly recommended that you obtain a Confidential License.
The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, also known as the L.A. County Clerk, is a very busy place. People go there to get many sorts of things not only marriage licenses but other legal documents as well. It’s a very large place and yet, can be crowded and confusing. Every time that I go there to file a marriage license so that a marriage certificate can be issued or to pick up marriage licenses I usually see a pretty long line.
Definitely, it’s not an exciting place, but it’s a necessary one. If you are having a Southern California wedding obtaining a marriage license is necessary either at the County Clerk’s Office or through one of the few specially trained notaries available, such as me.
Please note that there are only eight County Clerk’s offices in Los Angeles and over 10 million people living here. And all but one office closes at 3 pm. The other one stays open until 4 pm. Do the math and you can imagine what you can possibly come across if you decide to do this yourself. There are just way too many people and the parking lot is overcrowded and confusing. It is unquestionably a very frustrating experience. Most of our clients feel that way so they ask me to issue their license so they can avoid such an ordeal.
Those who choose to get a Los Angeles marriage license themselves usually tell me that they regret it because it eats up most of a workday. Remember that both bride and groom must show up together during limited business hours. Taking the day off of work can sometimes be a costly thing especially when you are planning a honeymoon together and need that extra time for fun.
So, if you’d rather not spend a good portion of your workday waiting in line I can do it for you
For this convenient service, I charge $350, which includes:
A Certified Copy is a proof that you are married, for marital status changes, and for name changes. Each certified copy is $17.
Even if the bride is not changing her last name, you may need one for marital status changes, and it’s a good idea to have one in your file. You will need to provide a Certified Copy for the following institutions, and others that ask:
This service is available to you no matter if you decide to have us plan your entire wedding, if you are interested in one of our packages ,if you want us to officiate the ceremony, or just require us to issue the confidential marriage license.
I will be more than happy to answer all your questions about this process and services.