As 2014 comes quickly to a close, I am thankful for all the loving couples I've met this year and the opportunity to be a part of one of the most special days of their lives together.  Despite being bombarded with negative news on a daily basis by media channels, I am reminded that love, faith, hope and commitment continue to thrive.


Thank you for having selected me to officiate your ceremonies, meet your families and become a part of your long-lasting memories.  Some of you have stayed in touch and provided updates--moved to a new home, expecting a child, etc.


I look forward to meeting and working with more couples in the New Year and working alongside other wedding professionals in our business.  Truly, I have one of the best gigs on the planet!


Happy Holidays everyone,
--Rev

Recently, one of my newlyweds asked for a list of all the places she needed to follow-up with regarding her name change.  Here's what I shared with her...first stop, your local Social Security Administration office.  Even the IRS suggests this should be at the top of your list, click here for what the IRS has to say.  The Social Security Administration office will ask you to complete Form SS-5 and you'll need a certified copy of your marriage license as proof.

Listed below, in no particular order, are other places where your new name will need to be updated:

• DMV
  
• Employer Records/HR-Benefits (including beneficiary info)
  
• Bank and other financial institutions where you do business (insurance company, brokerage firm, etc.)
  
• Creditors 
  
• Passport Office
  
• Post Office
  
• Professional licensing boards
• Voter registration
  

 
The Name Equality Act of 2007 allows couples applying for a California marriage license to change their middle or last names as a result of their marriage ceremony being completed/celebrated.

It will be cheaper and time efficient to make this decision at the time you obtain your California marriage license because it can be noted at the bottom of the license in Section 30A-31C.

Changing your name after your marriage license is issued (and before you are married) will require the purchase of a new license.  Changing a name AFTER your marriage ceremony has already been performed requires a court order and can be a lengthy, expensive process.

 Bottomline:  give some serious thought to what your married legal names will be BEFORE applying for a license and save yourself both time and money!

If I use a Wedding Officiant, can the officiant go and pick up our Marriage License?  

This question comes up often, and legally the answer is "NO".  Both parties who intend to marry must be present at the County Clerk's office to file the application for and be issued a marriage license.  

Additionally, both of you will need to present a valid authentic legal photo identification card containing photograph, full legal name, date of birth, date of issue, and date of expiration (Examples: passport, driver's license, military I.D. naturalization certificate, resident alien card). If your legal picture I.D. card does not contain your full legal name you must also present a certified copy of birth certificate or social security card, showing your full legal name.

Note: Original identity documents in a foreign language must be translated into English by a Court certified translator or American Translators Association (ATA) certified translator and must be presented along with the translation.

If you have been married previously or in a State Registered Domestic Partnership, please check with your local County Clerk website for additional information/documents that are/may be required.

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