Are you making plans for your big day? You most likely have thought through your reception venue, wedding theme, guest list, cake, flowers, music, decor, etc. There might be one thing that you are almost forgetting, a marriage license. This license is a legal document authorizing a marriage. It is issued by a government authority ( through the clerk’s office or a county district court) in the state from which you want to hold your wedding.

A marriage license is a mandatory requirement to legally recognize a marriage. Therefore, do not forget to make plans for acquiring the license so as not to ruin your special day. You should familiarize yourself with the requirements needed (documents, fees, residency, waiting period, etc.) to get a license before visiting the clerk’s office. These vary from state to state. Our comprehensive article guide has outlined most of these requirements for you here.

Make no mistake of confusing a marriage license for a marriage certificate. The former takes the first precedence and has to be issued before a wedding takes place. You can think of it as an application to a wedding.