How to Get Married in Idaho

Choose where to get married. Once you've secured your marriage license, you have many options available in choosing where to get married. There is no waiting period, so once you've obtained your license you're free to get married the same day (if you have a location and officiant lined up).

• Your marriage license is only valid in Idaho, but you do not have to get married in your county of residence.
• You can find wedding venues by searching online. However, you'll probably need to plan your venue out in advance and reserve your date to ensure that it's available.
• If you prefer to get married at the courthouse, a judge can and will marry you there. You will need to make an appointment in advance, and you'll need to pay additional fees.^[7]
• Contact your courthouse's judicial secretary to make an appointment for a judge to perform the ceremony.

Designate an officiant. In a civil ceremony, you can be married by anyone who is authorized to perform weddings. If you prefer, you can have a friend or relative to perform the ceremony. There is no state law that requires a wedding officiant to be a registered minister; however, some county registrars have asked for proof of ordination in the past.^[8]

• Authorized judicial officials include a current or retired supreme court justice, appeals judge, district judge, federal judge, district court magistrate, as well as a current/former governor or the current lieutenant governor.
• Other qualifying officiants include a current tribal judge or tribal official of an Idaho Indian tribe, or a priest/minister of any denomination.

Hold a civil ceremony. Once you've secured a marriage license and chosen an officiant, you can have a civil ceremony anywhere you'd like. The only requirement is that the ceremony must be held within the State of Idaho if your marriage license was issued in that state. You do not need a witness for the marriage, and your ceremony can be as large or as small as your location can accommodate.^[9]

• A civil ceremony will typically involve the exchange of vows and rings, just like a religious ceremony would.^[10]
• Many people choose to have a judge perform the ceremony in a courthouse.^[11]
• If you decide to have your ceremony at a destination outside a courthouse, you can choose someplace that has personal significance (like a park where you had your first date), or you may choose a location out of convenience.
• Search online for ideas and inspiration. There are many resorts and retreat locations in Idaho that host weddings, so find a place that fits you budget and your aesthetic.

Find an officiant. Your choice of officiant may depend on your religious affiliations, your location, or both. You can be married by an authorized clergy member, judge, or otherwise designated official.

• For religious ceremonies, you can legally be married by a priest/minister of any denomination.
• If you have someone you'd like to become ordained to serve as an officiant, he or she can easily do this online.
• You can get ordained through an interfaith ordination service like the Universal Life Church or the American Marriage Ministries.^[12] Ordination is free and does not expire, though it may be restricted to the state in which you register.

Talk to your religious leader. Depending on your religion, you may need to have an in-person "interview" with the pastor/priest/deacon who will perform your marriage. This is done in order to get to know the marrying couple, and to determine if there are any unresolved issues that would complicate a religious marriage (such as a previous marriage).^[13]

Choose a location. If you've chosen a priest/minister/rabbi, you may choose to hold the ceremony in that officiant's primary place of worship. However, many people have affiliations with their own place of worship, and may wish to have the ceremony at their own church/temple.

• Contact the church/temple in advance to secure a date for your wedding. You'll typically need to give at least six months' notice (though you may wish to give a full year's notice) if you want to reserve a date.^[14]
• Some religions require the wedding to be held at the specific place of worship one of the partners is affiliated with. However, permission can typically be granted to have the wedding in a different place of worship if the marrying couple makes a request to their religious leader.
• Look for information online to find out who in your church/temple makes reservations and arrangements for a wedding ceremony.
• Be honest with your pastor/priest/deacon. If you lie about anything and he or she finds out, that religious leader may refuse to perform the wedding.
• You'll need to pay your parish/church/temple for the preparations they make, as well as for hosting the wedding itself. These fees may be a voluntary donation, or a specified amount (typically between $300 and $500).
• Make sure you have an official copy of your baptismal certificate if you wish to get married in a church. You may also need to prove to the pastor/priest/deacon that you are an active member of that parish.

Hold the religious ceremony. Depending on your religious affiliation, the marriage ceremony may include portions of a regular religious service. In a Christian wedding, for example, the priest/deacon/pastor will give a blessing, and there will be prayers and readings from the Bible before the vows and rings are exchanged. ^[15]

Consider holding a wedding reception. Some people opt for a small, private ceremony with few or no guests invited. Others plan a huge, extravagant wedding and invite over 100 guests. There is no right or wrong choice here, as it is mostly a matter of preference. If you do host a wedding reception, you may want to consider:

• hiring a caterer or catering the wedding yourself
• renting a reception hall
• inviting family and friends of both partners
• hiring a DJ to provide music

Have the officiant submit your paperwork. When you received your marriage license, you should have gotten two copies: a top copy with a gold seal, which is yours to keep, and a bottom copy, which is kept on file as proof of the marriage. The officiant of your ceremony will have to fill out the bottom portion of both copies of your marriage license (under the heading "Marriage Certificate") and submit the county's copy (the one without a gold seal) by mail or in person to the county Recorder's Office within 30 days of the ceremony. Specifically, the officiant will need to fill out:

• his/her name and capacity (priest, minister, judge, etc.)
• the officiant's phone number and mailing address, including the city, county, state, and zip code in which the officiant resides
• the full date of the ceremony (day, month, and year)
• the city and county in which the ceremony was performed (remember that it must be performed somewhere in the State of Idaho)
• the printed names and signatures of any witnesses present, though witnesses are not required in Idaho
• the officiant will need to sign the marriage certificate in order for it to be official

Learn how to change your last name. There is no requirement that either party must change their last name after being married. However, often times one partner will take the other partner's name, or both partners may choose to hyphenate their names together. These changes are not done automatically after the ceremony, and if you decide to change your name(s) you will need to do so yourself.

• If you want to change your name(s), you will need to bring a certified copy of your marriage license to both the Social Security Office and the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). You will receive the certified copy of your license by mail at your current address after the officiant has filed the license with the Recorder's Office.
• You can find your local Social Security Office by entering your zip code on the Social Security Administration's website at https://secure.ssa.gov/ICON/main.jsp.
• You can find your local DMV office by browsing through the Idaho DMV directory at http://itd.idaho.gov/itddmv/.