Lots of couples ask the question, “Is eloping a legal marriage?” The answer depends on the type of elopement you want, and where you want to have it. If you want your elopement to be a legal marriage, it certainly can be! Most elopements are legal marriages. If you want your elopement to be non-binding, just a ceremonial occasion in a lovely spot with photos, and possible a select group of guests, it can be that too. There is a third option, where a married couples celebrates an anniversary or some other milestone by having a renewal of vows ceremony as the central event of an elopement. Let’s look more closely at the options.
Legal Elopement Ceremony
How do I have a legal elopement ceremony? That is a question that many couples ask! The answer depends on where you plan to elope. In the United States a couple must obtain a Marriage License and have a ceremony officiated by a properly credentialed officiant and that officiant must complete and sign the license. U.S. marriage license laws are passed by the states, so each state can have its own rules about the process. U.S. counties issue marriage licenses. The rules for obtaining a marriage license vary widely from state to state. Some states have lengthy waiting periods, while other have none. Some states require one or more witnesses and some require none. Most states require an officiant to perform a ceremony and sign the license, but not all. Some states have strict rules about who is sanctioned to act as an officiant, and even require registration with the state before being allowed to officiate, while other states have less stringent requirements and do not require registration. One key rule to follow is this: your marriage license must match the location of your ceremony, not the location of your home. So, if you live in Ohio and want to elope legally in Tennessee, you must have a Tennessee marriage license and only a Tennessee marriage license. You don’t get a marriage license in your home state and take it with you for a ceremony in another state. Since the rules vary so much from one state to another, it is very important that every couple do their homework before planning a legal elopement.
Non-Binding Elopement Ceremony
I want to elope in my favorite vacation spot, but I’m concerned about the marriage license. I want to have a ceremony with family, friends and photos in several months, but I need to be legally married sooner for insurance purposes. What’s the best thing to do? This is any easy fix! You can have a private legal elopement close to home and have a non-binding elopement ceremony at a different time and/or a different place. Let’s say you want to elope on the beach of a Caribbean island. You’ve found the perfect resort with a beach, and they have an officiant and photographer, but you’re not comfortable with the idea of getting your marriage license in a small country overseas. Get your marriage license in your own hometown. Have a credentialed officiant who meets your state’s requirements officiate a small ceremony for you and sign your marriage license, and follow all the regular procedures to have the paperwork returned to the county and registered. You can then rest easy that you are properly and legally married, and it will be simple to get copies of your certificate of marriage in the future. You can then have a non-binding elopement ceremony with photos wherever you want, whether that is on the other side of the county in the mountains, or on the other side of the world on a beach, at the top of a skyscraper in an exotic city, or on a ship in the middle of the ocean. Have your memorable ceremony with photos wherever your heart desires, knowing that you’ve taken care of the legal marriage back home. Even if you have your non-binding ceremony with family, friends and photos in your own hometown in your own church, you might need to be legally married months before or after that big ceremony for legal or business reasons. Your non-binding wedding ceremony can have the same vows, the same ring exchange and the same readings you would have in any other wedding ceremony. The only difference is that you are not legally becoming married because of that ceremony since there is no marriage license.
Renewal of Vows Ceremony
Many couples get married with either big or small, public or private weddings and then go on to have many years of happy marriage. So often, couples want to celebrate years of successful marriage by having a renewal of vows ceremony. Sometimes if the bride and groom were young and got married on a tight budget, they want to go all out with a large renewal ceremony, much more like a traditional wedding. Other couples who had the big wedding to start their marriage want something much more intimate and personal for a renewal. An elopement renewal of vows is the best way to make that happen. A renewal of vows should be a meaningful and memorable way to celebrate many years of a successful marriage, but should not create stress! For those unfamiliar with the concept of a renewal of vows ceremony, it is a non-binding ceremony. No marriage license is needed, neither proof of your original certificate and certainly no new marriage license is needed. A renewal of vows has different wording than a wedding ceremony, words that speak to the fact that you have been married to each other for some time, and you pledge your continued love and support to each other. Since it entirely symbolic, ceremonial and nonbinding, the content of a renewal of vows can be very flexible.
Which type of elopement should I chose? Your situation, budget and preferences will determine what you need. If you’re married, everyone knows you’re married, and you’ve been married for quite a while, a renewal of vows is your best bet. If you’re not yet married and you want to be married, you’ll need to decide which type of elopement wedding you want: legal or non-binding – or both! Some couple have a private legal elopement at home and then a larger more exotic elopement with photos and maybe with friends and family. Visit us at ElopementsInc.com and let us help you find the best elopement option for you!
