Mrs. Peony, New York
Age and Occupation: 27, Marketing Coordinator
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 30, QA Engineer
Engagement Date: June 28, 2007
Wedding Date: April 18, 2008
Venue: The Fountainhead
Blogging Since: August 7, 2007
About Me: Both Mr. Peony and I are huge computer nerds, and our conversations usually consist of the latest gadgets, programming languages, and video games. At the same time, I can also be very girly with an obsession with handbags, makeup, and high heels. And art! I've studied studio art extensively, almost majored in art history, and freelance as a web and graphics designer. Mr. Peony and I are having a ball of a time planning a wedding for 250(!) guests, doing our best to infuse our personalities (geeky chic) with the wishes of our very traditional Asian parents.
Getting Married in NY State vs NYC
July 21st, 2008 @ 1:03 pm by Mrs. Peony
I have a confession to make. It’s a bit embarrassing, really…
Mr Peony and I were married in mid-April and we still haven’t received our marriage certificate.
To be honest, the marriage certificate completely slipped our minds. But when friends started asking if I will be changing my name (the answer is yes), I realized we never got the certificate in the mail.
I joked to Mr Peony, “Wouldn’t it be funny if after all this time, it turns out we were never legally married?”
I think the question lit a flame under Mr Peony, who proceeded to call the City Clerk’s office the very next day. After being transferred from one department to the next, and staying on hold for 30 minutes, here’s what we found out.
Obtaining your marriage license in NY state is different from NYC. We had checked the NY State Department of Health’s “Getting Married in New York State” website prior to getting the license, which reads:
If the marriage license is issued by a town or city clerk in New York State outside of New York City, it costs $40. This fee includes the issuance of a Certificate of Marriage Registration. This certificate is automatically sent by the issuing clerk to the applicants within 15 days after the completed license is returned by the officiant (person who performs the marriage ceremony). It serves as notice that a record of the marriage is on file. Couples who do not receive a Certificate of Marriage Registration within four weeks of the wedding should contact the town or city clerk who issued the license.
If the license is to be issued by the City Clerk of the City of New York, please contact the New York City Clerk’s Office for current fees and requirements. The City Clerk’s Office can be reached at (212) 669-2400 or via their web site at New York City Marriage Bureau.
The NYC Marriage Bureau website stated that a marriage license in NYC would cost $35, so we thought, “$40 vs $35? That’s a no-brainer” and got our license in NYC.
However, what we didn’t know was that the $35 fee does not include an automatic issuance of the marriage certificate. We would need to order the marriage certificate separately, for an extra fee of $15 ($30 for foreign use). You can check this site to find out more about ordering your marriage certificate.
Mr Peony promptly ordered our marriage certificate and we should be receiving it this week in the mail.
And yes, we did feel very stupid after this incident. But hey, that’s what marriage is about, isn’t it? Having someone to share these stupid feelings for the rest of our lives? 
14 Responses to “Getting Married in NY State vs NYC”
Mr. Jasmine and I are still trying to figure out if we’re legally married! There was a major snafu w/the issuance of our marriage certificate and we’re trying to sort things out. It doesn’t help that the LA Recorder’s Office never answers their phone! So glad everything worked out for you 
Are you serious??? Oh my gosh. I got mine right away…
Here is the cost breakdown:
NY State: $30 for marriage license, $10 for marriage certificate = $40
NYC: $35 for marriage license, $15 for marriage certificate = $50
I only wish they said so clearly on the NYC Marriage Bureau’s website!
Jasmine, I hope everything works out for you!
[…] Original post by Weddingbee » The Wedding Blog […]
Haha. My DH is convinced they will mail us a copy; I have no idea where he thought he heard or read that. Meanwhile, I am stalking the vital records office to see when it actually turns up (the clerk is sooooo nice, he says he looks forward to my almost-daily calls).
I’m confused… I got married in NYC a month ago and we had our marriage certificate waiting for us when we got home from the honeymoon. We only paid the $35.
@Darlene: That’s weird, because when Mr P talked to someone at the City Clerk’s office last week that’s what they told us. Maybe it’s because we got our license in NYC but got married outside the city? (Would that make a difference?)
I also don’t remember paying extra after the fact for our NYC marriage certificate, but we got married 10/2006. Maybe things have changed recently? Or maybe we paid $50 originally which included the $15 charge? I don’t remember.
I’m with Darlene. We paid $35, got married in the city, and one copy of the certificate was waiting for us in the mail when we returned from our honeymoon. Incidentally, tomorrow is our one-year anniversary!
My friends got theirs after 5 years!!!! When it finally came the husband kissed it…it was soooo sweet!
@Mrs. Jasmine: That sucks 
I know what it is like to deal with LA County, I’m sorry.
I definitely think the problem is that you got married in Westchester (outside the city) but applied for your marriage license in the city. I guarantee that’s the issue. I’m glad it all worked out and they didn’t give you any issues, I could totally see them doing that!
Woah thanks for posting this! We got married upstate but applied for our license in NYC. Going to make a phone call now…
I got married in Cleveland but live in Chicago. Either way, I have contacted the Cuyahoga County probate court 3 times, sent them letters, cashier’s checks, etc and still have not received it. I’m getting worried I’m not married! I want to change my name!
