Bring our own officiant?....

[Tifuhhknee]

There are a ton of websites that people can get ordained on. This is where you can get an ordination (is that the right word? haha) certificate. E-mailed my clerk of court's office and this is what she said...

 

Attached is a copy of the Louisiana revised statute on the authority to perform marriage ceremonies. In ---- Parish we have a clergy registry book you can come in and sign. Please bring your original Ordination Certificate for verification. Also there is a registry Affidavit through the State of Louisiana, Office of Vital Records Registry.

 

I will reply to her and find out if we get paperwork here, take it to Mexico to fill out, and file it when we return home, is it legal? I'll let everyone know once I find that out. Hope this helps at least in some small way!

[jrb]

That's just what we want to do. Bring our cook county, Illinois marriage license with us to Mexico. Get it signed by our own officient and then mail it in as soon as we get home!! Please let me know if you've done this and if it works.

[Mkandola]

I thought that getting ordained was something you did for religious ceremonies? It isn't legal is it?

[jrb]

Religious ceremonies are legal in the us but not in Mexico.

[amandalsu]

You should check with your county website. In Texas the "ceremony" had to be performed in Travis County where we applied for the license. We had our friend officiate the ceremony in Mexico and then just went out to dinner with him and his wife when we got back and had him sign the license there at the restuarant. Our legal date and wedding date don't match but we don't care. I would be hesitant about saying my wedding date in Mexico occurred in Texas when my passport says otherwise. I would hate for insurance or someone else to find out, call my marriage license a fraud, and cause some major issues down the line.

[sarahrose]

Amandalsu is absolutely right. I am not sure if it's the same in all states, but in New York and New Jersey, you have to be married within the state lines with the state marriage license or it is not valid. It can be tracked that you were in Mexico on your wedding date and it could null your marriage.

 

Definitely get in touch with your city clerk's office to find out the rules where you're from.

[juliajoy]

Hi all! I know this is an old thread... but just in case there are other destination wedding brides out there with the same question, I thought I would answer!

My guy and I live in Texas and just got our marriage license (yay!). We are getting married in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. The Dallas County clerk informed us that we can get our marriage license in Texas, bring it and a Texas-registered officiant to Mexico, have the ceremony in Mexico, then bring the marriage license back to Texas to file and it will be LEGAL in the US. 

In  other words, we can legally get married in Mexico using our Texas marriage license and officiant (who is a family friend), then file the paperwork when we get home. Where it says 'county in which ceremony was performed' on the license, we just put in Playa del Carmen, Mexico and bam! Married :)

I do not know if this is true for other states, but it is CONFIRMED for Texas! I suggest asking the clerk when you register for your marriage license.

I am overjoyed that we can have a US-legal marriage in Mexico so our wedding date on our license will be the actual day! NO blood tests, or getting married before or after the trip required!