While couples are free to plan their wedding ceremony in accordance with their religious traditions, spiritual needs, or unique embellishments, both members must be physically present for the ceremony and formally consent to taking the other as husband or wife before at least two witnesses and the minister, who will subsequently pronounce them married and thus solemnize the marriage.
After receiving the application, registrars’ officers must wait at least 72 hours before issuing the marriage license, unless the Superior Court waived the necessary waiting period and attached it to the initial application. The license, once issued, will be valid for 30 days and will include each party’s name, age, parentage, birthplace, residence, Social Security number, and domestic status – whether single, widowed, or divorced – as well as the names and birthplaces of their parents.
Within 5 days of the ceremony, the minister must deliver the marriage license and certificate to the same state registrar where the ceremony took place.
Once the ceremony is completed, the minister must personally confirm that all relevant portions of the marriage license are completed by the couple, including the signatures and residences of at least two witnesses who were in attendance during the wedding.
Additionally, the minister must submit their own information, including their name, title, and home address if they are required to offer an address for the ministry’s headquarters.