Don't know where to start planning a wedding? Make sure everything is legal, first!

      As mentioned in another article, it would be ideal if you can successfully divide the various wedding categories among your free helpers of family and friends so that you can now attend to the details of your wedding which only you can do. Yes, there are some details that only you will be able to do. Even if you hired a wedding consultant or coordinator, you will still need to do certain things. One of them is getting a marriage license!

            Secure a Marriage License

      This is a very important document that should not be taken lightly or for granted. Most who've had no experience with weddings don't realize that this is where to start planning a wedding.

      The marriage license is what will give you legal permission to get married. Each country and state usually has varying laws on what are needed in order to file or apply for and secure a marriage license. In order to learn about the requirements, you can look online or ask your county clerk or the court clerk's office. These sources will be able to tell you what the requirements are for your marriage license.

      Usually, these requirements involve birth certificates and social security cards. Other states may require certificates of employment. If the bride or groom is not of legal marrying age, a certificate of parent's consent or a certificate of legal emancipation should be presented as well. If either the bride or groom is a citizen of another country, a green card, passport, and certificate of residence may be required. If either the bride or groom was once married and the divorce or annulment has not been recognized by the state yet, then this proceeding will have to be finalized first before a new marriage license can be applied for. Some states also require the certificate of attendance of a 'marriage and family planning seminar.'

      Since the requirements are dependent on where you live, it is best for you to go and get a list of requirements, and begin acquiring the needed documents for the filing or application of the license. Remember that only you can apply for the license, and it's very rare that the court will accept application via proxy.

      Apart from the required documents, you will have to pay a service fee, and the cost of the licensing. This is usually paid at the county clerk or court clerk's cashier. Don't worry about the expense. It usually isn't much money, and is just a formality for the filing of the paperwork.

      The best advice you can receive when it comes to applying for the marriage license is to do this in the first quarter of your time line. Some licenses take as quickly as a few weeks to approve, while other licenses take a few months, and in some countries, a full year! Sometimes the license itself is approved but the state issues a holding period before the wedding, which means you cannot get married during a certain period, even if you've been granted a license. Because of these complications, this is really where to start planning a wedding!

      Getting this done and out of the way during the first quarter of your time line assures you that you will be able to go on with the rest of your wedding plans. For example, some ceremony venues, such as the various religious venues will require presentation of the marriage license upon reservation of the venue. Plus, should any hold ups or delays occur in your securing a license, knowing about these issues and delays early on will help you fix and attend to them well before the wedding.

Next Article: Where to Start Planning a Wedding - Creating Your Guest List