New listing on Etsy – Vintage Woodland Wedding
September 20th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
I recently made a custom wedding order for a friend that was having a backyard wedding. We had one week to come up with a design, artwork, and another week to construct the invitations. She was happy with how they came out and I was too. So much so, that I now added them to my wedding invitation line. She chose the invites mailed in an envelope, but I also made an option of mailing it in a chocolate box lined with moss, which adds a really nice outdoorsy feel.
To see more about these invites visit my Etsy store.
How to Get Married in California
September 19th, 2011 § 3 Comments
There are two types of marriage licenses commonly issued in California. The public marriage license and confidential marriage license. In addition to the general requirements listed above, there are additional requirements for each of the licenses listed below.
PUBLIC MARRIAGE LICENSE:
¨ You must be at least 18 years old. Persons under 18 with written consent from at least one parent (or legal guardian) AND permission from a California Superior Court Judge may marry. Emancipated minors are NOT exempt from this process. Contact the County Clerk’s Office in your county for further information regarding these requirements.
¨ The marriage license may be obtained from any county in California. You are not required to get married in the county where you purchase the public marriage license; however, you must be married in California. You must file the license in the county where it was purchased.
¨ You must have at least one witness present at your ceremony. The license contains a place for two witnesses if you prefer. You may NOT have more than two witnesses sign the official marriage license. Licenses received with more than two witnesses’ signatures will be returned to the officiant and a duplicate marriage license will need to be purchased
¨ There is no age requirement in California for witnesses; however, they must be old enough to know that they are witnessing a marriage ceremony AND be able to sign their name on the official marriage license.
¨ The marriage license is registered at the County Recorder’s Office in the county where the license was purchased, and is a public record. Anyone may request copies of the marriage certificate by submitting the required fee to the County Recorder. You may access an application to request a certified copy of a marriage certificate at the following link: http://www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic/birthdeathmar/Pages/CertifiedCopiesofMarriageandDivorceRecords.aspx
¨ Only one officiant may sign the marriage license as the person who solemnized the marriage.
CONFIDENTIAL MARRIAGE LICENSE:
¨ The two parties to the marriage must be at least 18 years old to apply for a confidential marriage license. Minors may NOT purchase a confidential marriage license.
¨ The couple must be living together as spouses at the time they apply for the marriage license, and must sign an affidavit on the license attesting to that fact.
¨ The couple MUST be married in the county where the license is issued.
¨ No witnesses are required to be at the ceremony, AND no witnesses sign on the marriage license.
¨ The marriage license is a confidential record and is registered at the County Clerk’s Office in the county where it was purchased. Only the couple may purchase copies of the marriage certificate and must present valid picture identification together with the required fee to the County Clerk in order to do so. Persons other than the parties to the marriage requesting copies of a confidential marriage certificate may only do so by presenting a court order to the County Clerk in the county where the license is registered.
¨ Copies of confidential marriages are not available from the state office.
Step One - Go to any County Clerk’s Office in California some of these places include:
- You do not need to be a California or United States resident.
- 18 is the minimum age to marry with no restrictions. People younger than 18 need written consent of at least one parent (or legal guardian) and permission from a California superior court judge.
- Blood tests are not required for the marriage license.
- Both partners must appear together when filing application and issuing the license. Bring a photo I. D. such as a passport or driver’s license – and check ahead of time to be sure they aren’t expired.
- Since 2009, both parties can choose and list on the marriage license the name they will use after marriage. Discuss this before you go to avoid delays (or worse, fights).
- If you are divorced, you will need to know the exact date your divorce was finalized. If it was within the last 90 days, bring your divorce decree with you. (and if it was within the last 90 days, think carefully about why the heck you are getting married so quickly again…just sayin’)
- If you previously registered as Domestic Partners and are marrying the same person, bring your Declaration of Domestic Partnership.
- A marriage license is immediately valid and remains valid for 90 days anywhere in the state.
- The license fee varies by county and can be paid in cash, pre-printed check with a California address or a money order written out to the County Clerk. Some locations accept debit cards with an extra fee, but check in advance before you count on this option.
- You can be married by a judge, county clerk, priest, minister or rabbi of any religious denomination who is 18 years old or over. Active and retired judges can also perform the ceremony. You also need one witness.
- Larger cities perform marriage ceremonies by appointment at City Hall. There is an extra fee for the ceremony ($35 to $70 approx.)
County Clerk
The County Clerk issues public and confidential marriage licenses. The County Clerk is the local registrar of confidential marriages. The County Clerk maintains a permanent index of all confidential marriages registered.
Marriage Officiant
The marriage officiant, e.g., clergyperson or authorized individual, who performs the marriage ceremony is required by law to complete the marriage license and return it to the County Recorder’s Office within 10 days of the event for registration. For confidential marriages, the marriage license is returned to the County Clerk’s Office for registration. This is why, right after you get married you, your hubby and a witness sign the certificate to say that they indeed just watched you say I do.
County Recorder
The County Recorder is the local registrar of public marriages (which includes declared and non-clergy marriages) under the direction of the State Registrar (Health and Safety Code, Sections 102285 and 102295). This is the place you will go to pick up your marriage license after you get back from your lovely honeymoon. Don’t expect them to mail your marriage license to your home, I did and waited for two months before I discovered that I was the one who had to go and request it from the County Clerk’s office. Once you pick your official marriage license up, you will use that to change your social security card. Which then allows you to change the name on your drivers license, which in turn allows you to change the name on your financial information.
Step Three - Celebrate that you have a new last name and get busy on makin’ a name for yourself!
Whoopie Pie Favor Boxes
September 8th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Looking for an adorable DIY wedding favor? This may just fit the bill. How cute and whimsical is this little project? You can see more about how to make them yourself, here.
