5 Things to Be Sure of Before Getting a Marriage Certificate

Shellie R. Warren

Shellie R. Warren

Shellie R Warren is an author, writer, marriage life coach and doula. Her passion is covenant and spends a lot of time devoted to that area. You can check out her blog for... Read more

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Updated: 12 Aug, 2024

Table of Contents

Know your own readiness, feel love, safety, and a shared life, so you’re choosing growth together.
Ensure your partner’s commitment too, you deserve to know they’re as invested as you are, so you can stand united.
Choose timing and motives carefully, wait when needed, pursue premarital prep, and marry to grow, not to fix or escape.

As your wedding is steadily approaching and you’re caught up in all of the details that come with making sure that your day goes off without a hitch, there is one thing that you’re definitely going to need to have in tow: Your marriage certificate.

Possession of a marriage certificate is what makes you legally married.

That’s important because there are actually a lot of benefits that come with being legally joined.

Not are you able to change your last name (if you would like), but being married also makes you eligible for tax deductions, discounts on health insurance, IRA advantages and so much more.

But before you run out to your county clerk office to know how to get a marriage certificate, it’s important to remember that the institution of marriage is a serious one.

So, in the days leading up to getting your marriage certificate, here are five things that you should be absolutely sure of before signing on the certificate’s dotted line, much before you look for how to get the marriage certificate.

1. Be sure about your feelings

When you decide to marry someone, yes, you need to be sure that you love them.

But you actually need to be certain about a whole lot more than that. Do you feel like you respect them as an individual? Do you feel like you can trust them with all that you are and all that you have? Do you feel like there is no other person on the planet you would rather share your life with? Do you feel like they will support and encourage you? Do you feel physically and emotionally safe with them?

Bottom line, do you feel that this is the kind of person and decision that will enhance and not hinder your life and overall well-being?

2. Be sure about their feelings too

That said, you’re not going into the relationship or marriage alone.

Therefore, it’s just as important to make certain that you are sure of your partner’s feelings too. Although you might be tempted to assume that they are on the same page as you are, that’s a gamble that’s not the wisest to make.

No matter how busy and preoccupied the two of you may be, you deserve to know, without question, that they are as into you as you are into them. No one can make a marriage work on their own love and effort alone. It truly takes two.

3. Think about your true motives

One thing that unfortunately a lot of people overlook is the motive for getting married.

Key things to do before getting married include understanding the real reason for getting married alongside doing your homework on the legal things to know before getting married.

A motive is defined as being a goal or incentive. So, what motives can potentially be red flags? Well, if the goal or incentive is because you want to hurry up and have kids before getting “too old”, you are in financial trouble, you’re trying to get over a former flame, you don’t want to be the last one in your social circle to be single or you simply are tired of being alone—none of these are healthy enough reasons.

Marriage should not be perceived as a “solution to your problem”.

Marriage is simply the evolution of a relationship.

That said, if you’re not getting married simply because you adore the person you’re with and you feel that it’s time to take things to another level so that both of you can grow and benefit each other…rethink your motives.

4. Ask yourself if it’s the right time

Ask yourself if it’s the right time

Have you ever heard the saying “The right thing at the wrong time is the wrong thing?”

Before getting your marriage certificate, it’s a quote to ponder.

Sometimes marriages end up being harder than they have to be, but it’s not because the couple are not “made for one another”. It’s because they are doing things at the least opportune time. If one or both of you are in school (especially law or medical school), that is a lot of pressure.

You may want to wait until you’re really close to graduating. If one of you was offered an opportunity to go overseas for a few months and it’s not feasible for the other to go along, long-distance marriages are very trying.

You may want to wait until you can live in the same place. If one or both of you is up to your eyeballs in debt, financial problems is one of the leading causes of divorce, this is another reason to put things on pause.

Deciding to wait before getting married is nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about.

It’s actually a clear sign of personal maturity. Love doesn’t “go away” overnight. Waiting a while to get some other aspects of your life in order may be the best decision for your (future) marriage that you could ever make.

5. Don’t do it unless you’re ready

One website actually has a list of over 270 questions that you should ask your partner before getting married.

And while initially you might say to yourself “I don’t have time to go through all of those questions”, remember that you are vowing “until death parts us”, not “until I don’t feel like being married anymore”.

The reality is that while reportedly “A happy marriage is one of the most important life objectives for 93% of Americans”, there are far too many engaged couples who do not properly prepare beforehand. One way to do that is to sign up for some premarital counseling sessions (preferably more than 10 of them).

Another is to read some books on marriage (Boundaries in Marriage and Things I Wish I’d Known Before We Got Married are both really great reads). And another is to talk to some happily married couples and also some divorced friends to get some advice on what to do and what not to do.

All of these things can help you to decide if you’re really and truly ready to get married, both to the person you are engaged to and at the time you are planning to get married. Being sure that you are truly ready is a good reason and great incentive to go and get that certificate of marriage.

Once you have decided to take the plunge it would also be helpful to gain insights into getting a marriage license and things needed for marriage license. While a marriage certificate is a document filed after being married, a marriage license is a document that is often required when a couple in relationship intends to get married.

Getting a marriage certificate

For those individuals, who are on a confident of their decision to walk the altar, it is advisable to do start off on the right foot.

Getting marriage certificate proves to the world that you are now legally married.

Amidst the hustle bustle of wedding planning, couples must get themselves educated on pertinent questions like where to get marriage certificate, how to obtain marriage certificate, steps to apply for marriage certificate, and even how to sign a marriage certificate or get marriage registration done.

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Shellie R. Warren

Shellie R Warren is an author, writer, marriage life coach and doula. Her passion is covenant and spends a lot of time devoted to that area. You can check out her blog for... Read more single women who desire marital covenant at www.OnFireFastMovement.blogspot.com Read less