How to Get Married in Georgia

Co-authored by Clinton M. Sandvick, JD, PhD

Last Updated: February 21, 2023 References

If you are a resident of the state of Georgia or simply planning on having a long-distance or destination wedding at a Georgia location, figuring out how to get married can be an exhaustive process. From locations to venues, caterers, and getting your marriage license, there are many elements to consider. By finding the right professionals to help you pull off this significant big day and getting your marriage license on time, you can have a beautiful wedding in Georgia.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Getting a Marriage License

1
Determine if you are eligible to marry in Georgia. Before you can get your marriage license and married in Georgia, figure out if you are eligible to marry under the state’s laws, which can vary slightly by county. This will ensure that you don’t encounter any problems or delays in getting your license.
- Neither you nor your partner may be married to another person when you apply for your license. If you are widowed or divorced, you must provide proof of your former spouse’s death or of your divorce.
- You must be 18 years of age or older to get married in Georgia without parental consent.
- Some counties allow persons as young as 16 to get married with parental consent.
- Georgia prohibits marriage between relatives closely related by blood, but does permit marriage between cousins.
- Any person who is developmentally disabled may marry only if he or she is capable of understanding the idea of marriage.
- For questions on specific laws in the county in which you will marry, contact a local clerk. The Georgia Superior Court Clerks’ Cooperative Authority offers a search engine at https://www.gsccca.org.
2
Gather proper documentation and payment to apply for your marriage license. When you arrive at the court or local clerk’s office, you’ll need to have proper documentation and identification to apply for your marriage license. This will help ensure that there aren’t delays in getting your license or married.
- Fill out the application for a marriage license in Georgia, which you can pick up at the local clerk’s office.
- You will need ID in English to obtain a marriage license. Acceptable forms of ID are driver’s licenses, military IDs, passports, or birth certificates. Remember that your ID must also be valid.
- If your ID is not in English, you must have a notary type a certified translation of the documents.
- If you were previously married, you must present proof of your divorce or your former spouse’s death before the marriage license can be issued.
- Georgia abolished blood testing to obtain marriage licenses in 2003.^{[1]
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3
Secure the license fees. In addition to your documentation and identification, you’ll need to secure the right fees to pay for your marriage license. You have the option to reduce the general fee by taking a premarital counseling class.
- Marriage license fees in Georgia vary by county.
- In general the marriage license fee is approximately $56.^{[2]
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- You can take a six hour premarital education class to waive the marriage license fees.
- Premarital education classes are often available at local religious and community centers. Taking one of these classes may reduce the cost of your marriage license by $30.^{[3]
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- Note that some areas only accept cash payment for marriage licenses.
4
Figure out the appropriate County Probate Court. County probate courts issue marriage licenses to couples in Georgia. Call ahead of your wedding date to confirm hours of operation and any other questions you may have.
- For a complete list of probate courts in Georgia, consult the website http://www.usmarriagelaws.com/search/united_states/georgia/#counties.
- Some County Probate Courts have websites with information on specific laws in their county of jurisdiction. In the event that there is no website for your specific County Probate Court, you can call the number listed to verify information.
- If you are not a resident of Georgia, you will apply for your license in the county where your ceremony will happen.^{[4]
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- If you and your fiancé(e) are from Georgia, you will apply for a license in the county in which you are a resident. If only one person is a Georgia resident, apply for a marriage license in that county of residence.
5
Obtain your Georgia marriage license from a local county probate court. You must purchase your license at a County Probate Court before you can get married in Georgia. Make sure to have all of the proper documentation and fees prepare before you arrive at the County Probate Court to avoid delays.
- Both parties applying for a marriage license must appear at the County Probate Court.^{[5]
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  Research source} If one party is cannot be present, he must submit a notarized Supplemental License application.
- Sign your application at the County Probate Court.^{[6]
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- Georgia does not have a waiting period for marriage licenses.
- Once issued, a Georgia marriage license will never expire.^{[7]
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6
Change your surname if desired. If you and/ or your partner would like to change your surname upon marriage, you must state this on your Georgia marriage license application. Making sure to state this on the marriage license application will help ensure that you have legally changed your surname and can avoid a longer process of changing your surname once the marriage has occurred.^{[8]
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- Once you change your surname on the marriage license, there are no other forms you need to fill out.^{[9]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Planning the Ceremony

1
Decide on a location. Before you can begin planning the actual ceremony, you and your fiancé(e) should decide on a location for your Georgia wedding. From Savannah to Atlanta and Columbus, there are many places in Georgia perfectly suited for a wedding.
- Knowing the location will also help you apply for your marriage license in a timely manner.
- Consider indoor and outdoor locations. Georgia has a pleasant climate and offers a wide variety of state parks and historic sites that can host your wedding.
- The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has a list of state parks and historic sites that you can consider at http://gastateparks.org/weddings.
- You may also want to think about a destination wedding at one of Georgia’s many coastal islands such as Skidaway Island, Jekyll Island, or Sea Island.^{[10]
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2
Send guests save the date cards. Six to eight months before your actual wedding, and before you send formal invitations, send your guests “save the date” cards for your wedding. This will allow guests to schedule time and save money for travel and gifts if need be.^{[11]
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- Your save the date card doesn’t have to be formal as the invitation. It should just let people know the date and location of your wedding.^{[12]
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- If you have engagement photos or simply a picture of you and your fiancé(e) that you like, you can use this on the card.^{[13]
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- Send save the date only to the people who you want to attend. Even if some people already know and have said they will come, make sure to send them save the date cards as well.^{[14]
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3
Hire a wedding planner. If you can afford it or just want some extra help, consider hiring a wedding planner. She can help you coordinate the various elements of planning your wedding from venues to photographers. She may also help decrease stress on your wedding day.^{[15]
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- The costs of hiring a wedding planner varies greatly according to how they bill, where they are located, and the types of services you want. A good rule of thumb is to estimate about 15% of your total wedding budget for a wedding planner.^{[16]
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- Some wedding planners may have special deals with several venues that you like to help control the costs.^{[17]
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- There are many ways to find a wedding planner in Georgia. You can ask friends, family, or colleagues for suggestions. You may also want to search for a wedding planner yourself.
- Generally, the easiest way is to search for a wedding planner is online. Some wedding related websites offer search engines for wedding planners by location that can help you find several different options.^{[18]
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- You can also use local wedding magazines, blogs, and city guides to help you find a wedding planner in your location.^{[19]
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4
Find and book a venue for the ceremony. Finding the perfect venue for your wedding ceremony can be one of the most difficult parts of planning a wedding. If you’re not using a local wedding planner to help you, there are many factors to consider when looking for and booking a ceremony venue.
- Think about the type of ceremony you want. Do you want a religious ceremony in a church? Do you want something simple such as at the justice of the peace? Or maybe you want an outdoor ceremony at the beach.^{[20]
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  Research source} Having a basic idea of what type of ceremony you want can help narrow down potential venues.^{[21]
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- Consider how many guests you have. You’ll need to make sure that your venue can accommodate all of your guests comfortably and within local zoning and fire laws.^{[22]
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- Figure out how much work you are willing or want to do with a location. For example, if you want to get married in a barn, it may require cleaning not only before but also after your ceremony. By contrast, a reception hall, which may not feel as intimate, may provide staff to do the “dirty work” for you.^{[23]
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- There are many ways to find a venue in Georgia. You can ask friends, family, or colleagues for suggestions. You may also want to search for a wedding planner yourself.
- Generally, the easiest way is to search for a venue is online. Some wedding related websites offer search engines for wedding planners by location that can help you find several different options.^{[24]
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- You can also use local wedding magazines, blogs, and city guides to help you find a venue in your location.
5
Select an officiant. Who you choose to officiate your wedding can have a significant impact on your wedding, including setting the tone for the day. Select an officiant for your wedding who works with the type of ceremony you want and with you and your fiancé(e)’s personalities.
- Your ceremony may help set the type of officiant you select. For example, if you choose a religious ceremony, you will likely want your officiant to reflect your beliefs.
- If you are not having a religious ceremony, you could have a judge, justice of the peace, or friend who is an ordained minister officiate your ceremony.
- Any person who is a licensed or ordained minister, clergyman, or pastor of a recognized religion may perform a wedding ceremony in Georgia.^{[25]
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6
Locate and arrange a reception venue. Just as your officiant can set the tone for the ceremony, your reception site will set the stage for your celebration. If you’re not using a local wedding planner, there are many factors to consider when arranging your reception venue from number of guests to the atmosphere you want to create.^{[26]
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- Think about the type of reception you want and style of your wedding. Do you prefer something formal with a band? Or maybe you want something romantic or hip with a DJ? Knowing the atmosphere you want to create at your reception will help you more effectively locate and book your venue.^{[27]
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- Depending on where your ceremony is, you may want you reception to be at the same place. Some locations, such as hotels, will offer package deals for hosting a ceremony and reception, especially if you’ve chosen a destination wedding.
- Make sure your venue can accommodate all of your guests comfortably and within local zoning and fire laws.^{[28]
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- Find out if the venue is full service, which may help decrease stress and how much you have to arrange, including a caterer.^{[29]
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- There are many ways to find a reception venue in Georgia. You can ask friends, family, or colleagues for suggestions. You may also want to search for a wedding planner yourself.
- One of the easiest ways is to search for a reception venue is online. Some wedding related websites offer search engines for wedding planners by location that can help you find several different options.^{[30]
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- You can also use local wedding magazines, blogs, and city guides to help you find a venue in your location.
7
Find and book caterer. Food at your wedding will comprise the largest aspect of your reception costs, so you’ll want to find a caterer that provides you the highest quality food for the best price. If you can, meeting with several different caterers can help you find the right one for you and your wedding.^{[31]
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- If you’ve hired a wedding planner, she can help you find the right caterer and may have special arrangements with specific caterers.
- Your reception venue may include the cost of food and service in its price. Often, booking the reception venue with an on-site caterer can spare you time and stress.^{[32]
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- You’ll want to ask potential caterers lots of questions including if they specialize in any types of food and whether they provide tables, chairs, linens and utensils.^{[33]
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  Research source} Schedule a tasting to ensure that the food meets your standards.^{[34]
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- There are many ways to find a licensed caterer in Georgia. You can ask friends, family, or colleagues for suggestions. You may also want to search for a caterer yourself. You can look online or consult wedding magazines, blogs, and city guides to help you find the right caterer.^{[35]
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Choose a wedding cake designer and design. You can either use your caterer or hire a separate wedding cake designer to make the cake for your big day. Choose a design that reflects the style of your wedding and taste that you and your guests will enjoy.^{[36]
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- You can get many different types of cakes from simple sheet cakes to more elaborate tiered designs. The benefit of having a tiered design is that you can have different flavors to reflect the different tastes of you and your guests.^{[37]
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Meet with several different cake designers and test several flavors of cakes and frostings to find the best one for your wedding.^{[38]
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- Depending on if you cake designer is in the same city as your wedding, arrange for shipping of the cake on your wedding day.^{[39]
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- There are many ways to find a wedding cake designer in Georgia. You can ask friends, family, or colleagues for suggestions. You may also want to search for a caterer yourself. You can look online or consult wedding magazines, blogs, and city guides to help you find the right caterer.^{[40]
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10
Send the formal wedding invitations. When you’ve made all of the arrangements for your wedding, you’re ready to send invitations for your wedding in Georgia. Make sure to include all of the information on your various locations in Georgia so that your guests will know where to go.
- Send the formal wedding invitations six to eight weeks before your wedding. If you’re having a destination wedding in Georgia, consider sending them three months or more in advance to give your guests time to schedule vacation and travel.^{[41]
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- Make sure to include a deadline for RSVPs of two to three weeks so that your respective venues can have a final head count and accommodate for it.^{[42]
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- If your guests aren’t from Georgia, you may want to include a list of local hotels, inns, or B&Bs where your guests can stay.
11
Confirm any reservations and take care of last minute details in Georgia. As the date of your wedding approaches, make sure to confirm all of your reservations with Georgia businesses. You’ll also want to take care of last minute details within the state, including getting your marriage license if you haven’t done so already.