Finding guidelines for acquiring a marriage license in St. Louis County is somewhat a pain in the rear. Because it's a convoluted mess of links to get to the information you need, I thought I'd put it a little more succinctly, for those who, like me, just want to get it over with...
Bride + Groom must appear in person (at same time) at the Recorders of Deeds Office in Clayton (map). (The marriage license office is on the 4th floor of the County Government Building.
You must both be 18, and have a government-issued photo ID. Blood tests are not required for a license. Must also provide proof of Social Security Number (SSN).
Marriage license application is $45. You can get a copy of the license for $1.
You must use the Marriage License within 30 days after its issuance.
The bride may change her name at the Missouri Department of Revenue (for driver's license) and the Social Security offices.
She can use a certified copy of her marriage license for this purpose.
Copies of the marriage license: $2 for photocopy; $9 for certified copy; $10 for authenticated copy.
Still rather convoluted, but at least you can do this all in a couple of days, most likely. Getting a name change everywhere else is a pain in the rear, though (bank, Church, forums, etc.).
...of course, our rings won't be gold, nor will they be intertwined in some crazy manner which prevents either of us from ever putting them on. But they'll be on our fingers on October 2nd!
Please pray for me and for my fiancée as we progress on the journey toward married life and communal love! Expect a few more posts about Marriage/Weddings, and about love in general, between now and then.
There are pivotal moments in everyone's life. In my life, I have been fortunate to have multiple moments of this nature—I decided to join the Seminary straight out of high school, stayed in for four years and had many wonderful experiences in discernment. Then I decided to leave the Seminary (another huge moment in my personal life... even if some people weren't so pleased with that decision).
Just recently, another moment occurred which has changed my life, and will hopefully help influence many others' lives for the better! I am now engaged to a beautiful and very gracious woman whom I intend to marry before the end of next year... and since everyone's asking how the engagement happened, I feel like I may oblige here:
Preparations
About a month before yesterday, I decided I really did want to marry my bride-to-be, and I went to ask her Father for her hand in marriage (he was happy to give his permission), and order a ring. I didn't yet have a date planned for popping the question, but I was sure I wanted to ask before Christmas, but after Thanksgiving.
God provided the perfect date, however, and this date was December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception; not only did I have the day off work (working for the Church has certain perks like this!), but it is also one of the primary feasts celebrated in the Catholic Church. Plus, it's a feast of our Blessed Mother, and who could pass that up? [I've since found out that this is also her favorite Marian feast—score one for good luck!]
I decided that I would drive my then-girlfriend to work in the morning, which I did. I was also able to meet the wonderful faculty and students she assists on a daily basis (which was a very pleasant experience! I hope to return and see them again). After I dropped her off, I had a quick lunch with some of my friends and got things in order for the evening. Continue Reading ยป
