MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — Some couples may be thinking about tying the knot with Valentine’s Day approaching. Getting married in Alabama got easier last August with a change in the law. You no longer need a preacher, justice of the peace, or any official to preside over a ceremony.
“Well now it’s just simply filling out the form online,” said Manuela Boyd. She just got married on January 1st. To get married in Alabama, all you have to do is download a form from the Department of Public Health.
“Fill out the application, print it out, get it signed and notarized,” said Notary Public Darice Curtis. She said with the form filled out, all you have to do is take it to Probate Court and file it. It will cost you $70, plus another $3 for a certified copy.
And that’s it, you’re married. Curtis says she hopes to help guide people through the process. She officiated at her friend Manuela’s wedding, but she didn’t have to.
“You can still have a traditional wedding or what have you if you desire, but it’s just not required to have a preacher marry you now,” said Curtis.
The law changed as some Probate Judges in Alabama pushed back about having to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, which is now federal law after a Supreme Court ruling.
Some say not getting a traditional marriage license takes some of the romance out of getting married. But Manuela says the ease of it was welcome.
“It was perfect…you know it was just my husband and me, my daughter and my best friend and within 24 hours we were married,” she said.
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