How to get married in Michigan

You've decided you want to get married, now what! 

Getting married in Michigan is not difficult, but you do need to know the correct steps to follow in order to get legally married in Michigan. 

Did you know that in order to make that marriage legal you must apply for and obtain a marriage license from you local county clerks office? Yep, that's right, you have to have a license to get married...seems crazy, but that's the way of it. Once you've got that marriage license it's only valid for 30 days, you must get married within that 30 day window or, that license expires and you have to apply for it all over again. 

Next step, find someone to sign that marriage license. You can search www.weddingwire.com or www.theknot.com for local Officiant's who are ordained and can perform a legal wedding ceremony. When you reach out to these professional Officiants and Ministers be sure to ask, (1) are they available for your service (2) what are their fee's, all of them including travel and any extra's (3) make an appointment for a phone call so you can hear their voice and get a feeling for their personality, this way you can make sure this is the person you want to stand with, do they fit your vibe and your feeling for your day. 

Now that you've hired your pro Officiant or Minister you can begin working with them to draft a wedding ceremony. That's right, it's their duty to write the ceremony with or for you, every Officiant does this a bit differently, myself I start with an initial questionnaire that you complete and then based on that questionnaire I can draft the ceremony and then email it to you for review and from there we work together to proof it and edit it until it's perfect for you. 

Steps to apply for your marriage  license: 

Each County Clerk is working the application for marriage licenses a bit differently right now, so it is important you reach out to your's directly for accurate and up to date information. Some Clerk's are doing in person appointments, some are mail in and some are walk in. 

Generally speaking, you apply for your marriage license in the county that you live in. If you are out of state, then you apply for your marriage license in the county you will marry in. 

In most cases, you will need your original or certified copy of birth certificate or a valid passport, drivers license and social security card. If you don't have one of these, again check with the Clerk's office to see if alternative forms are accepted.