Legal ceremony question

PaulaV · 12-05-2007, 08:22 PM

We are having our legal ceremony next week here in the US at the courthouse.
It was just going to be FI and me, but we have invited his mom and my MOH as well.

We have our license, we know what we will wear, but do we exchange rings?

I don't know what to expect from a judge performing a ceremony at the courthouse. I know we are the only ones scheduled that day for a legal ceremony there.

CarrieRN · 12-05-2007, 08:36 PM

It depends how formal or significant you want it to feel. We finally decided (or I was finally agreed with) that it would be best to do the paperwork here first but we don't want a big deal made out of it. We are telling immediate family but I don't think any of mine will be there. His mom might and we are going to tell her sisters since they won't be coming to the DW. But we are considering Mexico our wedding. We have decided to wear Steelers jerseys and jeans. We don't even want any sort of celebratory dinner afterwards. We will save that for Mexico.
So long story short (whew), it depends on how big a deal you want it to be.

cheese_diva · 12-05-2007, 09:58 PM

We were married at the courthouse the day before we left for Mexico. We didn't think it was going to be a big deal but it was! I started to get nervous as we walked up to the building and Matt actually teared as we recited our vows.. it was in a very non-romantic place... a small room with no ceiling (think tall cubicle with a door) right next to the lines for administration, but it was very emotional.. I'm glad Matt wanted to wear a suit and I dressed up..

Regardless of what you're wearing, you've vowing to commit your life to someone. We exchanged our rings but were so sad to have to take them off until our Mexico ceremony... we couldn't give away our little secret! :)

MikkiStreak · 12-06-2007, 10:28 AM

I agree with Carrie---- it depends on how significant you view the courthouse ceremony.

I'm one of the opposite views on this tho---- most of the brides on here don't view the legal ceremony as their "real" wedding. I'm the opposite---- I look at the legal ceremony as the real wedding because to me, it's the epitome of what our wedding is supposed to be----- it's about us, and our commitment to each other; to me, our MX will be the celebration of our marriage for our family/friends, but the legal is about us and our marriage.

When we do our legal ceremony, we're planning on exchanging the rings and will continue wearing them. I think it's also something to ask Jeremy about tho too. I had never thought much about it, but Frank told me awhile back that he really wants to do the legal ceremony soon regardless of when the MX happens because he's anxious to wear his ring and be married. Girls get the engagement ring so everyone can visibly see they are getting ready to be married. But guys don't get that visible "status" until they get the ring on their finger at the wedding.

cheese_diva · 12-06-2007, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikkiStreak

I agree with Carrie---- it depends on how significant you view the courthouse ceremony.

I'm one of the opposite views on this tho---- most of the brides on here don't view the legal ceremony as their "real" wedding. I'm the opposite---- I look at the legal ceremony as the real wedding because to me, it's the epitome of what our wedding is supposed to be----- it's about us, and our commitment to each other; to me, our MX will be the celebration of our marriage for our family/friends, but the legal is about us and our marriage.

When we do our legal ceremony, we're planning on exchanging the rings and will continue wearing them. I think it's also something to ask Jeremy about tho too. I had never thought much about it, but Frank told me awhile back that he really wants to do the legal ceremony soon regardless of when the MX happens because he's anxious to wear his ring and be married. Girls get the engagement ring so everyone can visibly see they are getting ready to be married. But guys don't get that visible "status" until they get the ring on their finger at the wedding.

Matt was pretty sad about having to take off his ring.. even if it was for a few days.. we really didn't tell many people about our legal ceremony to avoid the drama so we didn't have a choice.

PaulaV · 12-06-2007, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikkiStreak

I agree with Carrie---- it depends on how significant you view the courthouse ceremony.

I'm one of the opposite views on this tho---- most of the brides on here don't view the legal ceremony as their "real" wedding. I'm the opposite---- I look at the legal ceremony as the real wedding because to me, it's the epitome of what our wedding is supposed to be----- it's about us, and our commitment to each other; to me, our MX will be the celebration of our marriage for our family/friends, but the legal is about us and our marriage.

When we do our legal ceremony, we're planning on exchanging the rings and will continue wearing them. I think it's also something to ask Jeremy about tho too. I had never thought much about it, but Frank told me awhile back that he really wants to do the legal ceremony soon regardless of when the MX happens because he's anxious to wear his ring and be married. Girls get the engagement ring so everyone can visibly see they are getting ready to be married. But guys don't get that visible "status" until they get the ring on their finger at the wedding.

I think we share a very similar view. That is the day I will legally be his wife and I will be checking the little married box going forward.
Vows? Ack! Did not think about that. Don't think we will do that at the legal ceremony other than what the judge has us say.
I kind teared up during the 'I swear' speech just to get the license!
However, I think our anniversary will be the date in Mexico when we give our vows infront of family and friends on 2.2.2008 which will be the big celebration.

We really did want to have the entire process in Mexico, but then decided to do them here after looking into everything we had to go through.

Actually Jeremy is the one that asked about the rings and wearing them from then on! :)
Hey he gave me my engagement rigns and I couldn't wear it for two days so he could make the announcement in front of our families on Christmas Eve. So maybe we will exchange rings, but not wear them until Mexico... well... I don't know! Ack!

LeXiee · 12-12-2007, 05:27 PM

I was thinking.... would it be wrong to do the actual legal ceremony when we return from our Symbolic ceremony??

TA Jill · 12-12-2007, 05:33 PM

we exchanged rings, but took them off after the ceremony. We didn't tell anyone that we were doing it and it was supposed to be a secret until mexico, but DH couldn't keep it a secret, but its cute that he was excited!

We are considering our wedding in mexico our wedding anniversary. Our ceremony here was on some random day, I actually don't even remember the date, sometime in July, the ceremony was literally 3 minutes, in this ugly office in the town hall, and I just don't feel like it had the same meaning to us, as the day in Mexico did. I didn't really feel married after our legal ceremony, if that makes sense.

jfwolfe72 · 12-18-2007, 02:10 PM

Has anyone ever had or is anyone planning on having their legal ceremony in the Annapolis, Maryland courthouse? I'm just wondering how that's going to go and what the chapel in the courthouse is like. We're just going to have our parents come up for it and then go to dinner afterwards, but we're going to consider our real marriage date when we get married in Mexico.