Both parties must be 18 years of age. Ages 16-17 require parental consent and a court order.
Must not be closely related (e.g. siblings, parent-child.)
Must not already be married.
2. Obtain Your Marriage License
Go to your local New Jersey Municipal Clerk's Office to apply for your marriage license in person. Both parties must attend in addition to one witness. Some towns require an appointment, so it is best to call and ask ahead of time.
All parties must bring a valid government-issued photo ID (driver's license, passport) in addition to applicable divorce decrees or death certificates if one party has previously been married.
Pay the fee, usually $28-$32 depending on the municipality, and complete your application.
Pick up your marriage license from the municipality after the 72-hour waiting period. Once you retrieve your marriage license, it is valid for 30 days, meaning you have 30 days from retrieval to hold a legal marriage ceremony.
3. Contact Your Officiant
That's where we come in! Your officiant must be legally authorized to perform marriages in New Jersey.
If you would like to book with Coppola Ceremonies, visit our Contact Us page under our Menu.
4. Plan Your Ceremony
Decide what date you would like to get married during your 30-day period where the marriage license is valid.
Decide what type of ceremony you would like: religious, non-religious, themed, elopement vs. microwedding.
Select your location.
Two witnesses are required for a legal wedding to take place in New Jersey. They must be at least 18 years of age. Select your witnesses and loop them in on your plans.
Coppola Ceremonies offers Ceremony Planning Assistance with our Premium and Heirloom Packages, as well as Add-Ons to help execute your vision for your special day and create a stress-free wedding experience for you and your beloved.
Coppola Ceremonies offers Officiant Rehearsal Attendance for an additional $150 fee.
5. Get Married
The day of your wedding, YOU MUST BRING YOUR MARRIAGE LICENSE. The marriage license is the most frequently forgotten item at weddings. If you do not bring it, no legal ceremony can or will take place that day. Do not forget to bring your marriage license.
Additionally, bring your government-issued photo ID.
Your officiant will perform your marriage ceremony.
After the ceremony, your officiant and witnesses will fill out your marriage license.
6. File the Marriage License
This step is for us. Once the ceremony is complete and the marriage license is completely filled out, your officiant will file it with the Municipal Clerk's Office in the municipality where your wedding occurred.
7. Retrieve Your Certified Marriage Certificate
Once the officiant files the marriage license, your certified marriage certificate should be ready for pick up within a week or two.
You must bring a valid government-issued photo ID to the Municipal Clerk's Office in the town where your wedding took place.
It is advisable to request as many certified copies of your marriage certificate as possible, as this is a legal government identification document.
There may be a fee depending on the municipality.
Designate a safe place in your home to keep your marriage certificate copies.
8. Update Personal Information (Optional)
If one spouse will be changing his or her name, first bring your marriage certificate and other personal identifying documents to your local Social Security Administration to get a Social Security card with your new name. You will need to make an appointment for this online.
Then, bring your marriage certificate and other identifying documents to your local Motor Vehicle Commission to update your driver's license. You do not need an appointment to change your name at a NJ MVC.
You can then update your name at other institutions such as banks. Some require appointments, so check with the institution directly.
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