Marriage is a contract governed by the laws of the state where the marriage is recorded. In Massachusetts, a town clerk issues a license (for a small fee, $20 to $35, depending on the town — bring cash or check and a photo ID). Even if you’re going to elope, plan ahead: there’s a three-day waiting period from the time you apply for the license to the time that you can pick it up. You need to apply for the license in person, but you can do that at any town clerk’s office in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (and that’s where your legal papers will be recorded if you ever need to request copies). Some town clerks will mail your license to you, but others require you to pick it up in person. It’s good for 60 days from the time of issue.
Bring your license to the wedding, because your officiant will need to sign it. He or she must be authorized by the Secretary of State to perform the ceremony — or rather, execute the contract. Massachusetts Justices of the Peace, as well as in-state members of the clergy, will already have authorization, but out-of-state JPs and clergy will have to file an application for authorization well ahead of time.
The same goes for a friend or family member acting as a “one-day officiant,” which has become an increasingly popular option, according to Berkshires town clerks.
Where are the couples who come to the Lenox Town Clerk’s office coming from (there were 40 of them last year)? “We’ve been getting a lot from Brooklyn lately,” says Town Clerk Kerry Sullivan. “But we also get couples from Texas and California. I’ve noticed that a lot of couples like to sit under the dome in our beautiful town hall while I’m doing their paperwork. It’s a nice small-town experience.” Apropos, if you’re thinking about stepping right into that Rockwell painting, I’m afraid you can’t; the Stockbridge town offices have moved down the street since 1954. Don’t leave town without seeing the painting itself, though (at the Norman Rockwell Museum). One more tip: make sure you know how to spell your mother’s maiden name!
For Massachusetts, Vermont, New York, and Connecticut marriages, the regs are easily found online.
