New York Van Rentals and Getting Married in New York City
Getting married in New York is easy with a New York Van Rental. First you will need a marriage license, which is issued by the town or city clerk. You will need to visit them in person because the forms must be signed by the bride and the groom in the presence of the clerk. You will need to bring two pieces of ID. One must prove age (birth certificate, baptismal record, naturalization record, or census record) and the other must prove identity (driver's license, passport, employment picture ID, immigration record). There will then be a waiting period of 24 hours from the exact time the license is issued and it is valid for 60 days. If you go out of New York City with your car rental to apply for the license, the cost is $40. In New York City the cost is $35.
The Ceremony
With a license from the State of New York, a New York State marriage license may be used within the state if you wish to travel with your New York Van Rental. There is no particular form or ceremony required, except that there must be a member of the clergy or public official and at least one other witness that can testify to the couple take each other as husband and wife. The person performing the ceremony must be registered with the City of New York in order to perform a marriage within the city limits.
Surnames
The last name people take when they get married can be a very confusing process. Do you keep yours? Take theirs? Or make a combination of the two? There are so many options today that the guidelines set out by the state make it a little simpler. The state website says: "Every person has the right to adopt any name by which he or she wishes to be known simply by using that name consistently and without intent to defraud. A person's last name (surname) does not automatically change upon marriage, and neither party to the marriage is required to change his or her last name". The name must have one of the following:
- he surname of the other spouse;
- any former surname of either spouse;
- a name combining into a single surname all or a segment of the premarriage surname or any former surname of each spouse;
- a combination name separated by a hyphen, provided that each part of such combination surname is the premarriage surname, or any former surname, of each of the spouses.
For more information, please visit the following websites.
New York State information: http://www.health.state.ny.us/vital_records/married.htm
New York City information: http://nycmarriagebureau.com/about/agency_overview.html
