How to Officiate a Wedding in Yonkers, New York

So, you’re getting married in Yonkers! Whether you know it as the City of Seven Hills, the Sixth Borough, or the Bronx’s Backyard, this independent town has a lot to offer couples that are looking to get married close to the New York City area, but want to avoid the chaos of choosing a venue in the city itself.

Here in our guide, we have all the legal info about how to get married in Westchester County with the officiant of your choice, plus some extra tips for planning a wedding in Yonkers!

STEP 1: Get ordained with American Marriage Ministries

Let’s start with the ordainment process. In New York, any clergyman or minister of any religion can officiate weddings. You can get ordained with us to become a minister of AMM. The process is free and takes just a few minutes!

Wedding officiants in New York that wish to perform weddings in the Five Boroughs (the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island) are required to register their ministerial credentials with the City of New York. Yonkers is not included, so no registration is required!

However, if you want to have the ability to officiate wedding ceremonies within the Five Boroughs in the future, you may want to look into getting registered, just in case! The process is detailed on the City of New York’s website here.

STEP 2: Prepare for the Ceremony in Westchester County

Now that the easy part is out of the way, we can help you prepare for the wedding ceremony itself. Being asked to officiate a ceremony is an honor, but can feel like a lot of pressure. You will appreciate our wedding training pages, which are a library of information to help you prepare for your first ceremony and ensure that it goes smoothly. 

Here you can find everything from sample wedding ceremony scripts, to  brainstorming prompts, tips for preparation, and more.

STEP 3: Officiate the Wedding and Complete the Marriage License

When it comes to dealing with the marriage license itself, it’s the couple’s responsibility to obtain it from the city clerk’s office. You do not need to escort them there. Just be sure to double check with them that they have made an appointment to apply for their marriage license about two months before the wedding. 

The marriage license is valid for use up to 60 days following its date of issuance, which just means that the couple must hold their ceremony within two months from when the city clerk’s office handed them their marriage license at the end of their appointment. Afterward you perform the ceremony on the day of the wedding, you will help them fill it out and notarize it correctly.

Afterwards, your final job is to mail in the completed marriage license so that the Yonkers city clerk’s office can record it. This is the responsibility of the officiant -- the couple is not permitted to return it themselves. With the marriage license, there will be an envelope to put the completed marriage license inside and send to the Yonkers city clerk’s office.

There is no time limit as to when you must mail it in before it expires, but you should do so as soon as possible after the wedding so that the office can record the marriage and mail the couple their Certificate of Marriage Registration.

File for the Marriage License from the Westchester County Clerk's Office

Make an appointment at the city clerk’s office of Yonkers by calling them at (914) 377-6020 or email [email protected] to request a time slot. For the latest updates, check the city clerk’s website. To save some time at the office, first print and fill out the marriage license application.

When you and your partner go to your appointment, just remember to bring:

• Certified, long form birth certificate
• Photo ID in the form of a driver's license or passport
• $40 payable in cash, check, money order or credit card
• If either member of the couple is divorced or widowed, bring your official decree of divorce or death certificate (they must be in English or translated into English)

If you bring all of the relevant documentation, you’ll be issued your marriage license the same day. You will be able to use it after the 24 hour waiting period. On the day of your wedding, your officiant will help you complete it correctly.

The Basics

You don’t have to go to Midtown to find a wedding venue that will knock your guests’ socks off. Yonkers has a number of incredible properties that make the Plaza and the Gotham Hall look stuffy and overdone.

If you’re looking to impress, the Grand Roosevelt Ballroom on the Yonkers waterfront is one of the most sought after venues in Yonkers. Back in the day, this hotspot hosted politicians and celebrities including Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt, Clara Bow and Helen Hayes, as well as many famous musicians. These days, you can book it as your wedding venue! It will cost you a pretty penny, but it’s worth checking out.

If you’re looking for an elegant venue on the water, the Glen Island Harbor Club is our topic choice. Located on a secluded island that was originally created in 1879 as a summer getaway for a prominent businessman, the nautical property features castle-like structures reminiscent of German Rhine Fortresses and epic views of New York skyline bridges. 

But our favorite Yonkers wedding venue is probably the Alder Mansion, located in northwest Yonkers. The renaissance revival style mansion looks like the setting of 1900s classic The Secret Garden come to life. Its weathered terraces, authentic Roman artifacts and beautifully manicured garden give the property a romantic, ethereal ambiance that make it a perfect location for a dreamy, vintage wedding that is sure to yield incredible photos.

Remember, you can use your Yonkers-issued marriage license anywhere in the state of New York, so if you don’t find a venue you like in town, feel free to venture out. But keep in mind, if you want to get married anywhere in the Five Boroughs, your officiant needs to register his or her ministerial credentials with the State of New York in order to perform your wedding there.

Weather

Early summer and early fall, specifically June and October, are the most popular wedding times in New York. Autumn is arguably the best, when the leaves are changing color and the temperature is mild. But if you want to pick a date outside of the height of the wedding season, anytime between March and May is a good choice. The weather isn’t too bad and you’re more likely to get a better rate from venues and other vendors. When choosing your wedding date, also remember to take any local events into account. If there is a major concert, parade or festival scheduled on your desired wedding date, you may want to reconsider, as traffic and parking will be an annoyance for you and your guests.

Transportation

The public transit system in Yonkers is pretty handy for guests coming in from out of town that want to stay a while and check out the Big Apple, but don’t want to spend exorbitant amounts of money on Lyft or Uber. Getting to NYC is pretty easy, as parts of Yonkers are connected by the Metro North train, buses and the subway. You can find info on the Metro North Railroad and the Bee-Line Bus System on the city of Yonkers’ website, but the Google Maps app will help you navigate from point A to point B taking into account all of the transit options. As for the wedding day itself, there are numerous of private car and limo services in the area that will transport you in style.