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This is a guide on the legal side of performing a marriage in New York City. To perform a
wedding in NYC you must be an ordained minister and also register with the New York City Clerk
Marriage Bureau. File for the marriage license..
Any wedding performed in Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens, and Richmond county is recorded
by the City Clerk of New York. The couple can file for the license online at the New
York City Clerk website but needs to show up in person to pick it up. The address for
the NYC Clerk's Manhattan office is:
New York City Clerk Manhattan Office
Worth Street New York, NY 10013
The marriage license costs $35 and is valid for 60 days. The couple must also wait a minimum
of 24 hours before the filling out the license. Get ordained..
There are many churches that offer free online ordinations. Be aware that the New York City
Clerk requires that the minister submit documentation of their ordination and authorization from
the church to perform marriages in New York City. There are only a handful of churches
that offer this service one is The Monastery and the other is American Marriage Ministries.
Do your research and find which best suits your needs.
Register with the New York City Clerk.. Once you've been ordained and have received
your paperwork, you need to register with the New York City Clerk in person at their
Manhattan office (listed above). You must bring your ministerial credentials as well
as two forms of valid ID. Their office hours are 8:30-3:45 M-F so the earlier the better.
Getting registered should not take more than an hour. If you reside outside of New York
City then you can may mail the signed and notarized application, a photocopy of your
proper identification and your fee of $15 by credit card or money order payable to the
City Clerk. Perform the ceremony..
There is no legal form to the ceremony and it is difficult to suggest advice as weddings
are personal celebrations. This guide is not meant to cover the ceremony, though if you
know the couple well you should have a pretty good idea of what to do. Just remember to
have fun, weddings are celebrations. Complete and return the marriage license..
This is the legal part. As the wedding officiant you are also responsible to deliver the signed
marriage license to the New York City Clerk. The license must bear your signature as well
as those of the couple and needs to be signed in the presence of two adult witnesses. Once
submitted you are done, congratulations! Thank you for watching!