SSJ

My fiance and I are getting married at a courthouse in Alabama. Wondering how much is the appropriate amount to give to the pastor who does the ceremony? He said "...$43.35 for the marriage license, and any amount you want to pay me." Also he said we'll get a certified copy right afterwards. Is that the "marriage certificate" we need for our I-130? Or do we have to order it from the health department, which will take several days, as it has to go thru the state department? Thank you!

Rete

Are you having a religious ceremony or a civil ceremony. A religious ceremony, in my opinion, would have a paster and a civil ceremony a judge or other civil officiant authorzed by the state to perform the ceremony. In the case of a civil ceremony, speaking of our wedding in NYS and my daughter's wedding in Virginia both were performed by a judge and the "fee" is whatever you wish to pay them. In both cases we gave the officiant an envelope with $50 and an invite to the reception. Both accepted the envelope and both declined the invite.

Don't know about Alabama, but have difficulty imagining a marriage certificate coming from a health department. In NYS and VA the officiant takes/sends the signed marriage license after the ceremony to cityhall for registration. What is usually meant by "certified" is a copy of the registered marriage certificate which shows the filing marks of registration and sometimes the official city seal.