How does a Civil Marriage Ceremony differ from a traditional one?  Most civil ceremonies do not include Christian traditions like communion or Jewish traditions like the seven blessings.  In California, civil ceremonies may be performed by:

• Priests, ministers, rabbis, and authorized persons of any religious denomination
• Commissioners of civil marriages
• Legislators or constitutional officers of this state, while holding office
• Members of Congress who represent a district within this state, while holding office
• County supervisors, while holding office
• Mayors of a city elected in accordance with Government Code §34900 et seq., while holding office
• Judges (except State Bar court judges, judges from other state court systems, judges pro tem, and Federal Administrative Law Judges)

Note: Ships’ captains have no authority to solemnize California marriages unless they fall into one of the categories listed above.

The components of a civil ceremony include the same basic structure as a religious one: 

• procession
• call to order/opening remarks
• vows
• ring exchange 
• pronouncement ("I now pronounce you husband and wife")
• kiss
• closing remarks
• recession
  

Depending on your officiant, other elements may be included.  If you are a couple that would prefer to include some cultural religious traditions, you may want to consider an interfaith ceremony instead.

What's a confidential marriage license? 
It's a confidential record registered in the county where purchased; copies are only made available to the couple who wed unless a court order is provided.  This maintains a couple's privacy which is usually the reason for this type of certificate.  To obtain a confidential marriage license, the couple must: 
1)  wed in the county in which the license was obtained
2) be 18 years old and already living together--you'll need to sign an affidavit attesting to that fact. 


Only the officiant signs the certificate, no witnesses.  For details, visit your local County Clerk's website or office. 


Helpful tips from your wedding officiant, Rev Saundra Anderson