American Weddings Blog

Lawmakers in New Jersey have proposed an amendment regarding marriage by proxy. But don’t worry – this revision will be a good one!

Legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Ronald Dancer includes an update to current New Jersey marriage law, which could soon "authorize persons serving overseas in military to be married or enter into civil union by video conference or other electronic means.”

What does this mean, exactly?

First of all, this general scenario – when one or more persons getting married is not present – is called a marriage by proxy....(continued)

Couples suing Virginia claim that the state’s marriage license application process is "offensive," "unconstitutional" and "reflective of a racist past.” And it’s not hard to see why...

In one county, the list of races that couples can choose from includes "Aryan," "Octoroon," "Quadroon" and "Mulatto.”

If your list includes designations used by slaveowners to designate ensure that mixed race children of slaves and their white owners would stay enslaved (and separate from “pure” white folk) you’ve got a serious problem.

A “mulatto” person is half black (one black parent). A "quadroon" was one quarter black (one black grandparent). An "octoroon" is one eighth black… ...(continued)

Couples planning weddings in Washington, D.C. have one less thing to worry about. The government shutdown, now the longest in our nation’s history, has been bad news for many Americans. One group affected has been couples in D.C. who have been unable to get their marriages licenses, throwing their wedding plans into chaos. 

Those couples got good news when D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser signed a bill that will allow her to grant marriage licenses and authorize officiants for 90 days. 

"We are stepping in where federal courts have discontinued issuing marriage licenses," Bowser said as she signed the The Let Our Vows Endure Emergency Act of 2019, or LOVE Act. ...(continued)