Legality of marriage and name change issues

Karen and I are getting married at Dreams tulum this coming July 4th.

 

We are having some problems determining what we have to do when we get back to legalize our marriage and get her name changed. The city clerk here said we would have to get a marriage license and have a ceremony (small quick one) to be able to change her name. Does anyone know anything about this?

 

Now we are thinking that if we have to have a civil ceremony here to get her name changed, we might not go all out with the ceremony in Mexico. It will be just the two of us down there anyway. We dont like the idea of spending all the money on translations, applications, blood tests, witnesses, etc. if it wont be enough legally back home here. We would still do some sort of ceremony, just not a legal one.

 

I appreciate any help you guys can offer.

if you have a legal marriage down there, then you should not have to do anything back here at home, however if you just have a symbolic ceremony there then at home you would need to have a legal ceremony.

Hi Jason,

 

I'm getting married in Cabo, but here is a copy of the questions I asked my WC and her response. It might be helpful in answering your question.

 

If we do get legally married in Mexico, is the process easy? Will you have everything set up for us and tell us exactly where we need to be and when? Can the legal details be done earlier in the week before our Saturday wedding?

Yes, all the legal documents are done before and even the ceremony can be done before Saturday, I can ask the judge to come to your room and we do the wedding there. In order for your marriage to be legal in the States, I would suggest that you call your City Hall or where it is that you go to change your name and ask them if you will need an Apostille for the marriage certificate and a translation or just the translation. Sometimes some States in the United States do not require anything and sometimes they do. I take care of everything, you do not have to do it, only depending on the State we have to spend more money in translating or Apostille the documents.

 

Hope this helps!

Both of your answers are what we thought too. I think we just have to talk to more people at the city and get all the answers we need

That's what I need to do too......just need to make the time to do it!

Talked to City Hall in my city today. They said the same thing as Albany. Have to have a separate ceremony to get the name change. I just emailed the NYS department of health to get a definitive answer.

 

Is anyone else here from New York that might have some different info?

 

Anyone here already married from New York?

Jason - I'm also in New York so this is helpful. I will be looking into this myself so if I come across any contrary advice from city hall, i'll let you know. We are planning a Catholic ceremony in Mexico. If we would have to have a separate civil ceremony in NY to get my name changed anyway, I'm thinking it might just be easier to do the legal wedding here in NY before we go down there.

Hi Jason,

I recently got married in the bahamas and live in new york. I too am having issues with changing my name. Were you able to get a final response? Any advice I would appreciate.

 

Thanks,

Cherisse

That is so interesting- I guess it is different with different states?!?! In NC, we just had to have the marriage certificate translated (resort did it for $90)- and I just went to Social Security office, showed my passport/birth certificate, and the translated marriage certificate and that was it....It suprised me that it's different with different states...