[Hanker2010]

My fiancé and I want to get married while he's home for Christmas. He's in the Marines. My parents don't want me to marry him, so we want a quiet courthouse wedding. I don't know how to go about it hough. I asked the clerk at the courthouse, but she was "too busy" to answer my questions and told me to come back later. When I went back she still didn't have time. I only have a couple of weeks before he comes home and I am desperate for help. Can anybody tell me what I am supposed to do? I don't have any idea about the law requirements for such a wedding.

[dontknownuthin]

It will vary by court but in pretty much every jurisdiction you need a marriage license and both have to be present to get it, then you have to go to court for the ceremony and have to pay a fee for the service. Because it will be specific to your county, it's hard to tell you at the level of detail you need, so I suggest you go online and do a search by your county and "marriage" and see what you can find.

If this lady is the only one at the court to ask, consider marrying a county over - go to a different court house and maybe they'll be more helpful.

More serious question though is why your family objects... concerning.

[Hanker2010]

Thanks so much for your help. And my famiy only objects because we're so young. They don't think I'll finish college if we get married now, but we want to be married before he gets deployed. Thanks again for all your help!

[dontknownuthin]

Good luck to you - perhaps you can make it your mission to finish college while he's deployed - keep your family happy, and give you something positive to focus on that will help your marriage while he's working so hard overseas. Really dig in and get through it - summer school and such really speeds things along.

It could take him a bit of time to settle in and get a job when he returns, so if you could finish school and be in a position to support the two of you on his return, that would be great.

There are certainly some benefits to you being married before he's deployed - there are some family health benefits and things like that, so could be a good decision in the long run if he's the right guy.

Best wishes to you both.

[Fr_Chuck]

Well of course you have to be 18 to get married without your parents signing for you.

If you are 18, you and he go to the courthouse together and get a marriage license. The clerk of the court will either
1. have a set time each day they do weddings
2. arrange an appointment that day or the next do the weddings.
a. also many local pastors do the weddings in their homes.

*** now for family, hiding and lying is not a way to start a marriage, if you are old enough to get married, and mature enough to get married, then you are old enough to stand up and tell everyone and make your own choices

[Hanker2010]

Thanks for all the help. Just one last question: any idea about how much it will cost?