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MARRIAGE
LICENSES:
Marriage License requirements for all
50 States, please Click
Here.
(Florida) To obtain a Florida Marriage License, you should contact the clerk's office in any Florida county courthouse, to find area locations. You do not need to go to the one in the county where you will be married. They are valid for sixty days, throughout the state. Most offices are open Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m., except for holidays. Check ahead to make sure they will be open on the day you plan to go.
Both Bride and Groom must apply together. There is no blood test
required. There is no waiting period for non-Florida residents (out-of-state or
out-of-country). Florida residents need to contact their county Marriage
License Bureau for the NEW requirements. There are
no residency requirements. It takes about ten minutes for the application. You
each will need picture ID with your birthdate and signature. Acceptable ID's
are: driver's license, passport, police ID, military ID, or alien registration
card. If either has been married before, you need to provide the date the last
marriage ended. If you are coming from out of state, it is a good idea to bring
a certified copy of the death certificate, divorce papers, or annulment papers.
Just to be safe. The cost is $93.50 (non-Florida residents), and can be paid by
cash, money order, Visa or Mastercard. They do not accept personal
checks.
Florida Marriage
Licenses by Mail for non-residents of Florida.
(Nevada) To obtain a
Nevada Marriage License, both the bride and the groom must appear together at
the Marriage License Bureau. There are no Blood Tests, and No Waiting Period.
Bride and Groom must provide at least one picture ID. The fee is $ 55.00 (cash
only). Adults over the age of 18 need no parental consent, but you must provide
proof of age. There must be at least one witness, other than the person
performing the ceremony. If divorced, you must provide the date of the final
decree, and the city and state where it was finalized. If widowed, you need to
provide a death certificate for proof.
(Las Vegas) The Marriage License Bureau is located at 200 South Third Street, 1st floor. The courthouse is open 7 days a week, Monday - Thursday, 8:00 a.m. - midnight, and 24 hours a day on weekends and holidays.
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NAME CHANGE: If you plan to change your last name after you are married, and most brides make some change, legally, you will need to file your name change with Social Security. You can find the Name Change Form on our Wedding Links Page. Just print it out, complete the form (after you are married), include a "certified" copy of your marriage license, and mail it in. Be sure to order an additional "certified" copy of your marriage license since you won't get this one back. They will mail you a new Social Security card with your new name on it.
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PROCESSIONAL:
The Processional is the
entrance of the Wedding Party, Officiant, Groom, and Bride and her
Father/Escort. In a Christian, or Civil, Ceremony, the Bride's Attendants are
on the left side of the Ceremony area, and the Groom's Attendants are on the
right side. For a Jewish wedding, it is reversed. Also, the Processional order
is different in a Jewish wedding. Please ask your Rabbi.
Everyone in
the Processional should do a slow, natural walk, right foot first. Each
attendant, or couple, does not start walking the aisle until the one in front
of them has almost reached the altar area, to allow for
pictures.
Bridesmaids and Groomsmen
(Begin with
the ones who will be the farthest from the Officiant, and build in to the
center. In most cases the Groomsmen will enter with the Officiant, Groom and
Best Man)
Maid/Matron of Honor
Flower Girl and Ring
Bearer
(Be sure to have the parents of the children seated on
the aisle-side of the second or third row, opposite where their child will be
standing.)
Bride and Father or Escort
RECESSIONAL:
(quicker natural walk,
following about 6 feet behind couple in front of them)
Bride and
Groom
(The Bride and Groom walk the aisle alone. No one
starts walking until they have reached the end of the
aisle.)
Flower Girl and Ring Bearer
(Do not start
them until after Bride and Groom have reached the other end of the
aisle)
Maid/Matron of Honor and Best Man
Bridesmaids and
Groomsmen
Parents of the Bride
Parents of the Groom
Grandparents of
the Bride
Grandparents of the Groom
Other Guests
HONOR SEATING:
This is done before the wedding party enters, and is
different for Christian, Jewish, and other ethnic backgrounds, but you can use
it as a guideline.
Honor Seating: (Ladies
escorted by Groomsmen or Ushers)
Grandparents of the
Groom (2nd row right side)
Grandparents of the
Bride (2nd row left side)
Parents of the Groom
(1st row right side)
Mother of the Bride (1st row left
side)
Please Note: if the parents of the Bride, or Groom,
are divorced, the "Mother" of the Bride, or the "Mother" of the Groom, sits on
the first row, with the Father on the second row.
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RECEPTION
SCHEDULE:
This is a general Reception Schedule, you will
need to adapt it to your individual circumstances.
Grand Entrance
(Introductions of Wedding Party, Parents, and
Newlyweds)
First Dance (Bride & Groom, then
Parents, then Wedding Party)
Blessing
Champagne Toast
(can be now or just before the Cake-cutting)
Food
Service (while the guests are eating is a good time to go table to
table and thank them for coming; you can also hand out special favors at this
time, and collect "money" envelopes. Don't forget to get a Bride's Bag for the
envelopes, or a Wishing Well display.)
Special Dances
(Father/Daughter; Mother/Son, etc.)
Cake
(usually done 30 - 45 minutes after food service, unless you are
using the Cake as your dessert)
Bouquet Toss
Garter
Toss
Bride & Groom Exit (Don't change your clothes unless
you absolutely have to. It is a nice fantasy to leave the reception in your
Gown and Tuxedo, and to be seen entering your hotel in your Wedding attire, or
drive thru a Burger King for a snack !)
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RECEPTION SEATING CHARTS: The best and easiest way to assign seating for your reception is to use a large piece of poster board and draw your table arrangement on it. Use a jar lid, saucer or rectangular box lid to draw the tables. Your caterer can give you a small scale layout of your reception room, then enlarge it to poster size. It doesn't have to be drawn perfectly, just so it is usable.
Make a list of all of your RSVP's (including bride, groom, attendants, and parents). Write the names of the bride, groom, and wedding party in the box for the head table, then make reserved tables for the parents and families, and fill in the names.
Now start assigning tables for the guests. Try to mix guests of the bride with guests of the groom. Remember you are assigning names to tables, not seats. Let the guests decide who to sit next to at the tables. If you know certain people will not be comfortable together at the same table, then don't put them together. Also, try to put elderly guests away from the band or DJ's speakers.
Don't forget to draw the dance floor, cake table and gift table on the diagram. After you are done with table assignments, make a list (on paper) of who is assigned to each table, and give this to the person in charge of the place cards at the reception in case of any confusion. Don't forget to assign (ask) someone to be in charge of the gift table, the place card table and the guest book. This could all be on the same table or several. Arrange the place cards alphabetically on a table outside the entrance to the reception. Also, ask someone to bring the guest book from the ceremony to the reception for late arrivals.
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