Love and Lobster Coastal New England Weddings

Amid all the preparations a wedding requires – the dress, the flowers, the music – it can be easy to forget the more practical requirements. Say, for instance, the marriage license that will make your promise of eternal devotion official, at least in the eyes of the government. Not that you’re getting married for the insurance benefits or tax breaks, but you’ll need a marriage license to take advantage of them.

If you’re tying the knot in beautiful coastal Maine, here’s what you need to know. First, there’s no longer a waiting period to obtain a marriage license. You can apply for one at a town or city clerk’s office the day before your ceremony, or earlier if you choose. But keep in mind that in most municipalities, a wedding license is only valid for 90 days. Also, the blood test, once common, has gone the way of the dowry – no one requires it anymore.

Where you apply for your license will depend on where you and your beloved hold residency. If neither of you is a Maine resident, you can apply at any municipal office in the state, regardless of where you plan to hold the ceremony. If just one of you lives in Maine, apply in the town where that half of the couple is a resident. And if both of you are officially Mainers, pick either town — there’s no need to apply at both.

When it comes time to file the application, and this may seem obvious, both of you must be present. The application questions are fairly run of the mill (name, address, date of birth); the toughest is probably where your parents were born. Brides, apply under your maiden name, even if you plan to change it, as you’ll take that step after you have your official license in hand.

Here’s what you’ll need to bring:

• Photo identification, such as a driver’s license

• If you’ve been married before, a certified copy of your divorce decree or death certificate. This bit of paperwork has tripped up many a bride and groom. Before you pack your bags and head to Maine, make sure you have an official certified copy with a real signature on it. In the case of a divorce decree, the photocopied version your lawyer gave you won’t cut it. Pick up a signed copy with a raised seal at the courthouse where the proceedings took place.

• Money to pay the fee. As of July 12, the fee for a marriage license in Maine will bump up to $40 from $30. Most municipalities accept debit and credit cards, but you’d be smart to bring cash, especially if you’re getting hitched in a rural area.

Filing the application (which is officially known as the quaint “first intention of marriage”) will generate your actual marriage license. You’ll give that document to your officiant, who will sign it and return it to the same municipal office after the ceremony. To get a copy of the license, which you’ll need for insurance and legal purposes, including changing your last name, check back in with the town office. Make sure to bring your wallet again, too. You’ll have to pay another fee, $15 after July 12.

Some other things to know: Maine doesn’t have justices of the peace. They’re known as notaries instead, and if you plan to use one to make your vows official, make sure they’re notarized in the state. Notaries or JPs licensed only outside the state can’t legally officiate weddings in Maine, and the same goes for judges and lawyers. Religious officials, such as priests, ministers and preachers, however, do not have to be licensed in Maine. Oh, and make sure you have at least two witnesses.

Having said all that, it can’t hurt to call the town or city clerk ahead of time, just to be on the safe side. After all, when your wedding day is right around the corner, who wants to be thinking about paperwork when there’s hair to style, tables to decorate and relatives to manage?