Useful Information

VALID MARRIAGE LICENSE

You must have a properly dated and valid marriage license on the day of your wedding or the ceremony will not be performed. Pennsylvania has a 3 day period waiting period once you have applied for the the license before the ceremony can be performed. The license is good for 60 days. In the event that your license is not valid at the time of the ceremony, any fees paid remain non-refundable. 

A license obtained in Pennsylvania may only be used in this state. The license may be applied for in any county and be used in any other county (such as applying in Allegheny County and being married in Philadelphia). 

AGE REQUIREMENT

In Pennsylvania, the legal age to get married without parental consent is 18. The age with parental consent is 16.

IDENTIFICATION

Proper identification is required to be shown by every couple wishing to get married at The Philadelphia Wedding Chapel. Names on identification must match those on the marriage license.

Non-US Citizens: Please contact the County in which you are applying for your license for information on the particular forms of identification required to apply for your license.

CERTIFIED COPIES OF MARRIAGE LICENSE

Depending on the county in which you applied for your license, you will either need to order your certified certificate, or you will receive it in the mail once it has filed it with the appropriate marriage bureau.  Please allow a minimum of four weeks for the processing of your license.  If you have any questions on the specifics of obtaining your certified certificate, please contact the county directly.

CHANGING YOUR NAME

You will need the following documents to get a legal name change in Pennsylvania after marriage:

• Certified marriage certificate
• Proof of identification (driver’s license, state ID, or passport)
• Proof of age (adoption decree, hospital record, or birth certificate)

Your marriage certificate will serve as your primary legal document for changing your name.  After you get married, your offciant will file your marriage license with the marriage bureau in the county in which it was obtained.  You should receive a certified copy of your marriage certificate by mail in about two weeks.  If you don’t have a copy of your certified marriage certificate, you may write a letter requesting one or visit your county marriage bureau and request one. 

Once you have received the certified copy of your marriage license, you will need to notify the appropriate government agencies of your new name such as the Social Security Office and the Department of Motor Vehicles.  You must first change your name with the Social Security Office before you can change it with the Department of Motor Vehicles. Complete and take Form SS-5 to your local Social Security Office.  Your personal documents will be verified and they will give you a certificate showing that the Social Security Office has approved your name change.

Once you have the certificate approving your name change from the Social Security Office, you can take it to the Department of Motor Vehicles to change your name on your driver’s license while you wait for your new social security card to arrive.  This MUST be done in person at your nearest PennDOT office.  Your new license and Social Security Card should be mailed to you within six weeks. 

Marriage Bureaus

Please see the link below for your county to see the marriage license application requirements.

Berks County
Bucks County
Chester County
Cumberland County
Delaware County
Montgomery County
Philadelphia County

DISCLAIMER

The Philadelphia Wedding Chapel ("PWC") is not and will not be held responsible for any legal issue(s) that arise out of the services performed. We rely on the information provided by the individuals and take necessary precautions to verify such information. PWC assumes that the marriage license presented at the time of the ceremony is valid and the information contained therein is true and correct. PWC also assumes that each couple has done their due diligence and research on getting married by an independent licensed officiant that may not be affiliated with an established church or congregation.