Getting a Marriage License

Reader and bride-to-be Allison wrote to me with a very interesting question: "Does the person performing the wedding ceremony have to sign the marriage license to make it a legal marriage or something? I'm a bit confused on how that all works. Can you tell me the steps necessary to become "legally" married?"

I can understand why this might be confusing, particularly as laws in the United States vary from state to state. You can find a step-by-step basic procedure to getting legally married in Getting a Marriage License. For more details, contact your county clerk's office. They usually have a brochure or web resource available on legal marriages.

If you have a good question about weddings, send it to weddings.guide@about.com