theroon

Hi all,

Has anybody had any experience with LA companies that marry and provide certificates on the same day?
Any Vegas experiences?
I trust these are legit and the certificates are recognised by immigration etc?

Thanks very much in advance.

Noorah101

Companies? It would be done by a Justice of the Peace, most likely at the city or county courthouse. Google getting married in LA or Vegas. It is doable and legitimate.

Rene

theroon

Thanks, Rene. I've been looking into them..just wanted to know if they are legit. It would save a lot of time and guarantee a certificate before we head back to London.

S Folinsky

They are legit.

The marriage will be of the confidential variety meaning the official recordation will not be publicly available to third persons.

theroon

Great! Could you recommend one? Also, do you receive the certificate there and then?

Thanks

BigT103

I have seen this place just round the corner from my wife's salon www.samedaymarriage.com give them a look.

theroon

Thanks mate - that's one I've been looking at.

BigT103

It's in Valley Village, on the corner of Laurel Canyon and Magnolia Blvd.

robin1234

Hang on. Are you saying you can get married "confidentially?" Surely a marriage, and the official record of it, should be in the public domain?

Twinkle0927

CA offers "confidential marriage licenses" - loved by the rich and famous who don't want the press to get access to the details of their nuptials.

tom169

You learn something new every day

S Folinsky

No, I can't. The officiating person must file the marriage certificate with the County Recorder which issued the marriage license. (BTW, any county can issue a license but the marriage can be anywhere in the state. So, if a license is issued in Modoc County, the marriage can be performed in San Diego. The official record will be in Alturas).

You can file a concurrent request for a certificate copy of the marriage certificate.

The main advantage these days of the confidential procedure is that it saves a trip to the recorders office. (In Los Angeles County, the marriage license bureau is in Norwalk).

S Folinsky

I believe that California is the only one of the 50 states that does this. The procedure goes back to 1878 and was designed to address the problems of unmarried couples living together and holding themselves out as married. My understanding is that initially, a clergyman could perform the marriage and his file was proof of the marriage. Later it was required to record the marriage but with records not publicly available.

The idea was to keep private the fact that the couple had married after living together, having had children and having lied to the community about their marital status. This privacy would encourage correction of the illicit status and legitimizing the children.

In the 1970's the confidential marriage became popular in order to circumvent the then existing requirements for blood tests.

The blood test is no longer required for regular marriages. The legislature came close to elimination of confidential marriages in 1984. There are perceived problems.

As an additional matter, there is no Common Law Marriage in CA. It was eliminated in 1895.

theroon

Wow! Thanks for the explanation. It is completely acceptable for immigration purposes though, correct? I am in touch with a one day marriage place in LA. Seems so much easier than going through the County Court route - as you mentioned. My only concern is getting the certified copy delivered to England. I am happy to pay for a courier. Do you know how that part of the process works?

Thanks again.

212

As above, a Confidential license is what you need.
For Los Angeles, and from personal experience, I can highly recommend Chris : www.officiantguy.com - no affiliation, just a happy prior customer, as are many celebrities.

It can be done anywhere in Los Angeles county, and yes the license once signed and notarized by him becomes the certificate of marriage.
You keep a copy, he files one for you, and you get another (county stamped) version of the same document in the mail a couple of weeks later, which he will forward it to you in the Uk via FedEx, but in the meantime you still have the original as proof. You (and only you, remember it is confidential) can request further copies at a later date if required.

No visits to court/city hall/wherever, no waiting around. A couple of emails with some details, you turn up wherever you like, say what you want, no witnesses required, sign, and done. He is also incredibly good value and a nice guy too, and will work on short notice (ie, same day) if you need to.


And yes, again, from personal experience (CR-1) it is acceptable for US immigration purposes.