Your New York Marriage License Guide (Everything You Need to Know)
Hello Future Newlyweds!
Congratulations on your engagement and on all the excitement that comes with planning your big day! I’m Rev. Joe Iadanza, and I lead Long Island Wedding Officiants, a team of professional Reverends, Ministers and Rabbis recommended by your venue for their on-site ceremonies.
We know that your journey to the altar can be overwhelming and even confusing at times. Whether or not you’re looking for an officiant, here’s everything you need to know about getting legally married in New York State. I hope this saves you some time and stress.
How to Get Your New York State Marriage License
You must have a valid New York State marriage license present at your ceremony unless you’re already legally married. It doesn’t matter which town you apply in—it’s valid anywhere in the state—but you cannot use a license from another state for a wedding here in New York.
Marriage licenses are valid for 60 days and mature after 24 hours. We recommend applying about a month before your wedding day.
Requirements vary slightly depending on location. In NYC, a single photo ID (passport or driver’s license) will do. On Long Island and throughout the rest of the state, you’ll also need a certified birth record, naturalization record, or baptismal certificate. If your documents are in another language, a certified translation is required.
You can find our complete guide to NY State Marriage License requirements here:
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A list of Town and City Hall locations can be found here:
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After your ceremony, your officiant will return the completed license to the issuing location, and the issuing location will mail you your Certificate of Marriage. Once you receive it, you can begin the name change or legal status update process. To help with that, we’ve put together a guide with links to Social Security, DMV, and other resources: https://
Still Looking for a Wedding Officiant?
If you haven’t chosen your officiant yet, we’d love to support you. Here’s how we work for your venue’s location:
Custom Ceremony – $750
This is our most personalized experience. We’ll meet for a relaxed interview where we get to know you, your love story, personal style, and what kind of elements matter most to you. From there, your officiant will personalize your ceremony with original content written just for you. And don’t worry, we always have a couple of tissues with us on your big day because your Custom Ceremony truly brings your journey to the altar to life! You’ll receive a draft to review, and we’ll collaborate on any edits until it feels absolutely perfect.
Ceremony Builder Experience – $600 (Most Popular)
A beautiful balance of customization and simplicity. Skip the meeting and use our online Ceremony Builder. You’ll choose your favorite elements from our prewritten samples, from heartfelt to lighthearted, traditional to modern, religious to interfaith, or something totally non-religious to shape a ceremony that feels like you. Incorporate your own personal vows if you like to make it extra special! Once your selections are complete, we review to ensure it flows seamlessly and feels cohesive and meaningful. Is life too busy for that? No problem at all! Just give us a sense of what you’re looking for, and we can assemble it for you.
For both of those options your officiant arrives 45–60 minutes early, provides a printed copy of your ceremony, a keepsake certificate, and returns your license via certified mail. A vocal PA is included at no additional cost upon request. We also follow up with the info you’ll need to begin the process of name or status change.
Simple Legal Ceremony – $500
Designed for couples who need a short, heartfelt, and legally recognized ceremony—often on shorter timelines (typically within 4–6 weeks of the wedding date). Your officiant will be assigned a week before your big day, arrives 30 minutes prior to the ceremony start time, asks a few questions about your preferences, and celebrates a simple, meaningful exchange that covers everything needed to make your marriage official. This option does not include meetings, early arrival, PA, or printed keepsakes, but is a great fit for couples who are most excited about being married and less so about having all of that extra attention on them. It’s also popular with those who are working with a friend or family member who will be leading most of the celebration and want us there for just the legal parts.
Working with a Friend or Family Member Officiant?
Online ordinations aren’t legally recognized in New York State. Your loved one will need to obtain a one-day permit from the same Town or City Hall where you get your license. If that feels overwhelming, we can help. We also offer legal Signature “Sit and Sign” Services before or on the wedding day, Ceremony Writing, and one-on-one Coaching for your chosen officiant to help them feel confident and prepared.
Some considerations about choosing a legal Wedding Officiant can be found here: https://
If you’d like to read more about how we work, here’s our FAQ page, which covers our credentials, legality, and what everyone should ask when hiring an officiant: https://
If you have any questions about the marriage license process—or would like to chat about how we can support you for your wedding ceremony, contact us. We’re here to help however we can.
Wishing you a smooth path to the altar, and a joyful marriage ahead!
