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Thursday, November 8, 2012

News The Basics on Getting Gay Hitched

Posted by Unpaid Intern on Thu, Nov 8, 2012 at 12:16 PM

Posted by news intern Chelsea Kellogg

When I found out Referendum 74 passed yesterday, I texted all of my closest gay friends who are in committed relationships asking if 1) they are getting married 2) if I was invited to the wedding and 3) if there would be an open bar.

To my deep disappointment, none of my friends are planning big fat gay weddings, so I thought I would make a little fact sheet to simplify the process in case anyone *ahem* wants to get married and *ahem* invite me.

The first day you can apply for a "gay" marriage license is on December 6th at the King County Recorder's office. If you're outside King County the state has a handy website directing you to the marriage licensing location nearest you.

There is a three day waiting period after you receive your marriage license, which means the first day a wedding can actually be officiated is on December 9th. But that's a Sunday and the government doesn't work on weekends, so a courthouse wedding isn't possible on that day.

If you are committed to to getting married on the 9th, someone else (who is ordained to marry) can officiate in a non-courthouse ceremony. Anyone can get ordained online!

The first courthouse ceremonies will be on Monday, December 10th. The fee for a courthouse wedding is $80 and you will need two witnesses over the age of 18 in tow.

Update: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that a marriage license could be obtained by at the Seattle Municipal Courthouse, however the King County Recorder's office actually issues the licenses.

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Interesting tidbit about the "anyone can get ordained" line. Turns out that due to the wording of the RCW, you don't even need anyone who is ordained to marry you if you *believe* the person marrying you has the authority. Even better, only *one* of the people getting married has to believe it.

RCW 26.04.060 "A marriage solemnized before any person professing to be a minister or a priest of any religious denomination in this state or professing to be an authorized officer thereof, is not void, nor shall the validity thereof be in any way affected on account of any want of power or authority in such person, if such marriage be consummated with a belief on the part of the persons so married, or either of them, that they have been lawfully joined in marriage."

So the recipe for getting married by any old non-authorized officiant is to have one of you arrange for it and tell the other one that it's on the level. Then one of you will have a belief that you have been lawfully joined, and thus you will be. It's beautifully circular.

Posted by beef rallard on November 8, 2012 at 9:41 PM

@19: I live in Toronto, where we get weddings every Pride parade (as well as year long, of course!), but I love the idea of mass midnight ceremonies on Dec 9.

Posted by Canadian Nurse on November 8, 2012 at 6:37 PM

I know I'm coming in late, but I have to be clear that you can still get a courthouse marriage if you contact a judge and request one. A lot of Superiort court judges are happy to do wedding at the courthouse on the weekends. Some might even do a midnight ceremony if enough people are interested

Posted by Takmac on November 8, 2012 at 4:11 PM

Please don't use someone ordained online to officiate your Washington marriage--gay or otherwise! Even the Attorney General of Washington was unable to say definitively whether this would void the marriage. http://www.ulcseminary.org/forum/uploads…

Posted by 2d Bride on November 8, 2012 at 4:04 PM

So, when Obama comes to dissolve my straight wedding and force my wife and I to marry same sex partners from other forced dissolution marriages, leaving me with one of the two cats, what do I do if my new partner is allergic to cats or is a Republican?

Posted by cracked on November 8, 2012 at 3:08 PM

The People’s Revolutionary Homosupremacists are rounding up the heteros for their mandatory gay marriages as we speak.

The zenith of the mass marriage event will be when we force the two butchest Huskies on the UW football team to totally exchange rings, kisses, and workout tips in a shotgun ceremony witnessed by a packed stadium. The unhappy, yet totally ripped and hawt-as-hell couple then will be ferried to a lavender farm on San Juan Island for a honeymoon filled with painting, bicycling, and long walks holding hands on the beach at sunset.

Posted by Original Andrew on November 8, 2012 at 1:51 PM

@14 - Your partnership is still valid in Washington. They didn't shred the documents when you crossed the state line; it's just that most other states don't recognize them. Presumably, your partnership will be converted along with everyone else's that Washington has on file.

Posted by MacCrocodile

on November 8, 2012 at 1:40 PM

@3 - This is a longshot, but what if you lived in WA and were registered domestic partners and then moved out of state? I guess that's null and void now so no potential for marriage? Maybe we'll be back someday...

Posted by gay southerner on November 8, 2012 at 1:33 PM

My bestie and his partner are thinking about it now. They joked (?) that they're going to rent a room at a charter school for the reception which will feature a big pile of pot brownies instead of a wedding cake.

Posted by Chefgirl on November 8, 2012 at 1:32 PM

I got married at a courthouse in Redmond. It was fun! We just had a giant party later.

Posted by Amanda on November 8, 2012 at 1:09 PM

@7 http://www.seattle.gov/leg/clerk/dpr.htm for City of Seattle

http://sos.wa.gov/corps/domesticpartners… for State Registered Domestic Partnerships

Posted by melville on November 8, 2012 at 1:01 PM

@8 - Unless you went in with my boyfriend on a ring, it doesn't count. A Kindle would be nice, though.

Posted by MacCrocodile

on November 8, 2012 at 12:58 PM

Marriage licneses in Seattle come from the King County Administration building, not the Seattle Municipal Court!

Posted by correction on November 8, 2012 at 12:55 PM

That happens (coincidentally? perhaps not!) to be MacCrocodile's birthday! Now I don't feel the need to get him anything else, since I already got him equal rights.

Posted by evilvolus on November 8, 2012 at 12:54 PM

Neither I nor Mr. Vel-DuRay have even the slightest interest in getting married (although we both support marriage for all, of course) but I think we are already domestic partners with the state. How would one go about finding that out?

Posted by Catalina Vel-DuRay

on November 8, 2012 at 12:45 PM

@5 I appreciate the correction!

Posted by melville on November 8, 2012 at 12:33 PM

@3 unless one of them is 62 or older. Don't scare the old people who read SLOG.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on November 8, 2012 at 12:31 PM

Any word yet on which weddings the Governor will officiate at?

Also, fwiw, Ron Sims is an ordained minister. And a great guy. Book early, the best go quickly.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on November 8, 2012 at 12:30 PM

"Couples currently registered under the state's domestic partnership law will have until June 30, 2014, to dissolve their partnerships or convert them to marriage. If they don't, the state will convert the partnerships for them."

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2…

Posted by melville on November 8, 2012 at 12:30 PM

Note: courthouse ceremonies don't often have an open bar.

Posted by Matt the Engineer on November 8, 2012 at 12:21 PM

But, if you are already gay married, you can Register it 12-6-12 here.

But have another wedding and invite your str8 friends and relatives. Those who show will be glad. Those who don't will send presents you can probably use anyway.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on November 8, 2012 at 12:17 PM