Legally Binding Weddings

To be legally binding, all weddings must have an officiant, a person vested with the legal right to perform wedding ceremonies; a witness and a legal document attesting to the man and woman's intention to wed and merge their assets and their lives. For information of changing your name, and what options are available and acceptable these days, please choose an option below.


Wife Takes Husband's Last Name
Wife Uses Maiden Name as Middle Name
Wife Hyphenates Maiden Name and Husband’s Last Name
Husband and Wife Keep Their Own Family Names
Husband and Wife Both Hyphenate Their Name
Husband and Wife Take Each Other's Names as Middle Names
Husband and Wife Choose an Entirely Different
Wife takes Husband's Name Socially, Keeps Maiden Name Professionally
Husband takes Wife's Name

A consideration to keep in mind if you or your mate have been previously married is to make sure you can show proof that you are divorced or widowed, or alternatively provide a death certificate or divorce decree.

Some countries require that you both have blood tests. Even is this isn't a mandatory requirement in your locality, is this something you would like to do anyway?

If planning to marry outside of your country consult a professional consultant that can give accurate advice on the legalites in BOTH countries. Some countries such as France have residency requirements of 2 months. It's details like these that you must be fully aware of.

Legalities vary from country to country and state to state so be sure to check with your local authority. Generally a marriage license is valid for 60 days from the date of issue.

©	Copyright 2005