So for personal, philosophical, cultural, and political reasons, I am obviously still feeling the sweeping exhilaration of New York’s Marriage Equality Bill.
To honor its passing, for the first week (July 24th-31st) any LGBTQ wedding ceremonies will be $75 to $150 in most areas of NYC….Staten Island, the Bronx, Westchester, and Nassau County ceremonies will be $250, which represents a $75 discount.
If you were thinking about getting married in the NYC Clerk’s office for the novelty, you may want to reconsider the desire simply because standing on that line again might be, well, even more irritating than thrilling. The same may be true for those considering a “mass gay wedding.”
In NYC, same-sex couples will be able to apply online on July 5th onwards and then pick-up the license starting on Sunday, July 24th, as the the NYC Marriage Bureau will take the atypical step of opening on a Sunday.
Since New York State mandates a twenty-four hour waiting period, getting married on July 25th will be the soonest lesbian/gay weddings may be held.
***But if you secure the license, know that you can marry with a judicial waiver on that same day. And the NYC officials have assured the public that judges will be available to issue the waiver on July 24th.***
Finally, keep in mind that not every clerk’s office in New York will be open on Sunday, July 24th.
I am free to marry you anywhere in New York, and you’d be able to exchange any vows you’d like. And, yes, the ceremony can be strictly civil/non-religious or spiritual.
And, yes, I do have some time still available on July 24th (3/4/5/9 p.m. ish) for those who procure the judicial waiver. Do call to make a tentative appointment, though.
Yes…after writing about the bureaucratic end, I am still excited!
Wedding Officiant in NYC and the Hudson Valley 