to be married in
new hampshire

You and your intended (together and in person) must obtain a Marriage License at a Town Clerk’s office. You must bring the following documents with you:

• Proof of identity (valid Driver’s License or other photo ID)

• If applicable, proof of dissolution of previous marriages (i.e., Court-sealed Divorce Decree or Death Certificate).

NH does NOT require a blood test.

The fee for the Marriage License is $50.

The Marriage License is good for 90 days anywhere in the State of New Hampshire.

Your ceremony does NOT need to be held in the town where the Certificate is issued.

The fee for a certified copy of the Marriage License (aka Marriage Certificate) is $15.

On the day of the ceremony, bring the Marriage License with you. I will complete and sign it, make a copy for my records, and then either hand-deliver or send it by postal mail to the Town Clerk who issued it. If requested, I will send you a copy for your records. The copy has no legal relevance but you may want it as a keepsake.

In about two weeks, your Marriage License will arrive at the Town Office. You can either pick it up in-person or, if you provide a pre-addressed postage-paid envelope in advance, have it mailed to you.

Change in Status
Checklist

Notify the following entities of a change in name or address:

• Internal Revenue Service

• Social Security

• Credit Card Agencies

• Utility Companies

• Banks and Financial Institutions

• Your Employer

• Your Insurance Companies

• Your Dentist

• Your Physician

• Your Attorney

• The Post Office

• The Town Clerk

• The Registrar of Voters

• The New Hampshire Dept of Motor Vehicles

• Professional Associations

• Academic Institutions

• The Military

Tips for Writing
your own vows

Penning your own wedding vows is no easy task. It’s like writing poetry, public speaking, and having the deepest conversation of your life all at once. It can be an emotional and eye-opening experience. Up for the challenge? Here's what you need to do (and the questions to ask) to make your vows perfect.

Start Early

Don't leave writing your vows until the day before the wedding! You'll be too nervous, excited and rattled to give them the time and thought they deserve. Vow writing should be done in a relaxed, not rushed, frame of mind. Give yourselves plenty of time to work on your vows. Aim to have your final version finished a few days before your wedding.

make a vow date

When it's time to come up with your vows, set aside some time to talk with your fiancé. Discuss what you expect from each other and the relationship. What are you most looking forward to about married life? Why did you decide to get married? What hard times have you gone through together? What have you supported each other through? What challenges do you envision in your future? What do you want to accomplish together? What makes your relationship tick? Answering these questions will help you come up with phrases and stories you can incorporate into your vows.

Work Out The Logistics

Make sure you and your intended are on the same page. Are you each going to write your own vows, or will you write them together? If you're writing them separately, will you want to run them by each other before the wedding? If you're writing them together, will they be completely different, or will you recite some of the same words and make the same promises, as you would with traditional vows? If you want them to be a surprise on your wedding day, send copies of what you've written to your officiant so they can check that your vows are about the same length and similar in tone.

Schedule Some Alone Time

After chatting together, take time to reflect on how you feel about your partner. What did you think when you first saw him or her? When did you realize you were in love? What do you most respect about your partner? How has your life improved since meeting your mate? What about them inspires you? What do you miss most about them when you're apart? What qualities do you most admire in him or her? What do you have now that you didn't have before you met? The answers might lead you to the perfect words.

Look to Tradition

To get inspired, start by reading a variety of vows to see what strikes a chord with you. You can incorporate them, or simply use them as a jumping-off point to base your personalized vows on. Borrow freely from poetry, books, song lyrics -- even romantic movies. Jot down words and phrases that capture your feelings. The most important thing is that the words ring true and sound like they're from your heart.

Practice Out Loud (Seriously!)

These are words meant to be heard by a live audience, so check that they sound good when spoken. Read your vows out loud to make sure the words flow easily. Watch out for tongue twisters and run-on sentences -- you don't want to stumble or run out of breath. Your vows shouldn’t take much longer than a minute or so (it's longer than it sounds!). Get at the heart of what marrying this person means to you; pick the most important points and make them well.