Complimenti per il vostro matrimonio. Benvenuti a New York!

Legally, you only need one witness for your wedding. The witness can be from any country, and must be over the age of 18. Often, your photographer can be your witness. You can ask your officiant to help find a witness. You can also ask the hotel concierge, a waiter, a tourist, or people having a picnic in the park. All they need is identification. If you are being married at City Hall - get there early and ask some othe people waiting in line.

If you want a list of good photographers we have used who have also served as witnesses, just email me offline.

Good luck! buona fortuna! Mary

[WeddingsofNewYork.com]
[elopenewyork.com]

Hi My fiance and I are hoping to be married in New York in June 2009. We are not us citizens. Do we just need our passports and birth certificates to marry also we don;t have any witnesses as its only the two of us. Does the court provide witnesses? Can we pay for the licence by credit card

Hi

Me and my fiancée really want to get married in NY at the end of June. I booked a holiday before we decided we wanted to get married there so we are only there from Friday to Monday. (started planning the wedding over here in the UK but it got so ridiculous that I ended up not wanting to do it!!!)

I plan to get the marriage licence online and then go into the offices on Friday and get it. Then go City Hall early on the Monday and fly home Monday night.

Here go my questions.....
Does this sound like a realistic plan?
As i want to change my surname to his, can i do that back in the UK once i have the marriage certificate? Or if i do it there will my passport still be vaild?
Will they post the marriage certificate to me in the UK? (we are both currently living at the same address)

I am thinking that i should extend the holiday but before i go changing flights and what not i thought that i better check.

Any advice would be gratefully appreciated. My email is tiger_stripes0100@hotmail.com.

Thanks
Hannah x

Just in case anyone is reading this post from January - here's the updated info.

Please see the NEW City Clerk Marriage Bureau website:
[www.cityclerk.nyc.gov]

1) You can apply for a license ONLINE now, up to 20 days before.
2) You can pay with a CREDIT CARD (no longer need to buy those money orders)
3) You need to go to WORTH STREET, not 1 Centre Street
4) You still need to go in person, even if you applied online. Go early, go mid-week. Best guess for time - 45 minutes to 2 hours.
5) Read their post on proper ID here:
[www.cityclerk.nyc.gov]

Yes, Brooklyn is faster. But if you want to go BACK and get your marriage license the next working day after the wedding, you must get your license at the
Manhattan Office. Good luck!

[WeddingsofNewYork.com]
[elopenewyork.com]

Unlike Central Park, where you can apply online, the poor staff member at the Conservatory Garden has to handle the booking by herself (and it's only 1/4 of her job). It's not automated. I asked her about this requirement, and she said you just need to buy a money order in US funds (like a postal money order from Australia or Canada) and send it FedEx.

I have sometimes booked the garden for couples who live abroad, however. Just ask your officiant.

Good luck!

[WeddingsofNewYork.com]
[elopenewyork.com]

Here you go --

I plan to get the marriage licence online and then go into the offices on Friday and get it. Then go City Hall early on the Monday and fly home Monday night.

This should work. You both have to go to City Hall together, to validate and collect the online license. The weddings are First Come First Served (EXACTLY 24 hours later if you're planning Next Day), so getting there early on Friday and Monday should do it. Be sure to check with the Marriage Bureau on Friday about the schedule on Monday though!

Does this sound like a realistic plan?
As i want to change my surname to his, can i do that back in the UK once i have the marriage certificate? Or if i do it there will my passport still be vaild?
Will they post the marriage certificate to me in the UK? (we are both currently living at the same address)

You can change your name on your marriage license, AND/OR change it once you get back. If you get married at City Hall they will give you your marriage license at the ceremony. If you get married in the park or somewhere else, you can take the license BACK to City Hall and they will print out the license. Otherwise they'll mail it - but sometimes it takes a few weeks, depending on circumstances.

You usually have to send the original marriage license to the Passport Bureau to change your passport to your new name. Just carry other ID while waiting.

Good luck!


Any advice would be gratefully appreciated. My email is tiger_stripes0100@hotmail.com.

Thanks
Hannah x

[WeddingsofNewYork.com]
[elopenewyork.com]

see other posts on this topic, but:

City Hall website:
[www.cityclerk.nyc.gov]

You need proof of birth (Passport) and Address (Drivers License)

You can pay for the license by credit card now.

You need at least ONE witness over 18. No one provides this for you. If you are being married by a civil officiant outside of City Hall, ask your officiant to provide a witness, or ask your photographer to be a witness. You might be able to ask someone else at your hotel, etc.

Good luck!

[WeddingsofNewYork.com]
[elopenewyork.com]

Is it legal to get married in NY if you are married in another country?

No. Once you are married anywhere in the world, you cannot get married AGAIN to anyone else, without a divorce or a dissolution of the previous marriage. You must state, under oath, on the marriage license application, about any previous marriages and the whereabouts of any former (or current) spouses.

However, people who are already legally married to each other, some of them at City Hall, sometimes ask for a wedding ceremony to celebrate their marriage for friends and family. This is common for many couples who get married in a registry office with just witnesses, and then want a spiritual or celebration ceremony to repeat their vows. As long as it's the same person, you can always have another wedding ceremony to celebrate your marriage - but you only have one LEGAL ceremony, whether it's at the Court House or in a church or even in Central Park. Write me offline if you have any questions.

can i get married in central park on christmas day?

My finance and I are planning to marry at city hall on Monday (Feb 8 2010) and do not have a witness. We got our marriage license today and were told that we must bring our own witness and that no staff members were allowed to act as a witness. We are here from overseas and do not know anyone here that can act as a witness. Please contact me if you know anyone who would be available to help us. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you

HI,MY PARTNER AND I ARE FROM ENGLAND AND HAVE BOOKED A HOLIDAY TO NEW YORK IN MAY THIS YEAR.WE ARE STAYING IN STATEN ISLAND WITH OUR TWO CHILDREN.
WE ARE PLANNING TO GET MARRIED WHILE WE ARE THERE AND THERE ARE A FEW QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE TO ASK ANY OF YOU KIND NEW YORKERS..

CITY HALL WEDDING

FIRSTLY WE KNOW THAT YOU HAVE TO SHOW UP IN PERSON 24 HOURS BEFORE YOU WANT TO GET MARRIED,BUT DO YOU HAVE TO BOOK WELL IN ADVANCE OF THAT TOO?OR LITERALLY JUST TURN UP AND GET MARRIED THE NEXT DAY????

SECONDLY,AS WE HAVE CHILDREN(ONE 4 MONTH OLD BABY AND ONE 14 YEAR OLD SON)WHERE IS CHILD FRIENDLY TO EAT ON A FRIDAY EVENING? PREFERABLY BROOKLYN WITH A NICE VIEW OF MANHATTAN.

FINALLY WE ARE THINKING OF HAVING PICS TAKEN IN TIMES SQUARE AND ALSO ON BROOKLYN BRIDGE AND MAYBE CENTRAL PARK,CANNOT DECIDE..DO YOU THINK ITS POSSIBLE TO DO ALL THREE? HE HE

OH AND I TAKE IT THAT THE CITY HALL ISN'T OPEN FOR WEDDINGS ON A SATURDAY?IS IT JUST MONDAY TO FRIDAY?