How to Get Married in New York?

Dream of getting married in New York? It's possible! Here are the steps to follow to make your wedding legal and recognized in France.

1/ Send your documents to the French Consulate General in Washington

The first step to marry in New York is to contact the French Consulate General in Washington at least 3 months before your wedding date. You’ll need to complete an administrative file to obtain your Certificate of Capacity to Marry (CCAM). Required documents include copies of your birth certificates, photocopies of your passports, and proof of residence.
The file is available through this link to the French Consulate General in Washington form. Print it, complete it, and mail it with all required documents to the following address:

French Consulate General in Washington
Civil Registry
4101 Reservoir Road NW
Washington DC 20007
USA

Once your file is approved, the marriage notice will be published at the town hall in your city of residence in France. After 10 days, if no one objects to your marriage, you’ll receive your Certificate of Capacity to Marry. This is what you need to marry in New York.

To marry in New York, you must schedule an appointment with the City Clerk of New York City to obtain your marriage license. During this meeting with the New York administration, you’ll need to provide the name of your witness. If you don’t have a witness in New York, we can help. Contact us!
Important: you must obtain your license at least 24 hours before your wedding ceremony. New York law requires a waiting period between receiving your marriage license and the actual wedding.

Here comes the moment you’ve been waiting for! You have two options for your wedding ceremony: you can marry at the City Clerk’s Office at New York City Hall, or organize your own ceremony anywhere in New York.
The second option is more unique—you could have an unforgettable ceremony at Central Park or at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge. We can help you organize a custom ceremony with a French-speaking officiant licensed by New York City. A French-language service that makes your special day even more meaningful!

After your ceremony, you’ll receive an official document confirming your marriage in New York. For your New York marriage to be recognized by the civil registry of the French Consulate General in Washington, you must obtain the “extended form” of your marriage certificate. This form is available on the City Clerk website. It must then be notarized and apostilled. To do this, you’ll need to schedule an appointment with the Apostille office in New York City. Note: obtaining the apostille is the most complex step because you must work with the New York administration in English. We’re here to help you through this process!
This step is crucial for your marriage to be recognized. Only the apostilled document will be valid for French authorities. The French Consulate General in Washington emphasizes: “without a request for transcription, your marriage certificate cannot be registered.”
If everything is in order, the civil registry will issue your French family record book and request an update to your birth certificate.

The process seems complicated or you need help and advice? We’re here for you! Our team of French-speaking guides has already helped several couples, and we can assist you through every administrative step. We know what we’re talking about: our guide Laurène went through all these steps herself to organize her wedding in New York! Laurène knows the procedure and required documents inside and out, so she can advise you and follow your file carefully.
Specifically, Laurène will assist you when filling out your administrative file through video conference or WhatsApp video call. The goal is to avoid any mistakes that could delay or cancel your wedding. We can also help you prepare for your City Clerk Office appointment by assisting you over the phone to complete the English-language form. No more stress about dealing with New York administration in English!
Our French-speaking team is also here to help with the practical organization of your wedding ceremony if you want to marry at a specific location in New York. Anything is possible! For any questions, feel free to reach out using our contact form.

We offer 4 different packages to organize your New York wedding:
Helping Hand: $199. This package includes 3 hours of phone and/or video conference assistance. We’ll help you complete French and New York administrative forms and answer all your questions.
Witness: $199. Don’t have a witness for your New York wedding? One of our French-speaking guides will attend your official ceremony as your witness.
Helping Hand + Witness: $399. This package includes the Helping Hand package plus the presence of a French-speaking witness at your New York wedding ceremony.
Ceremony: from $699. This package includes planning your wedding ceremony with multiple video conferences to help you organize it. The price also covers the time needed to make a reservation at your chosen venue and includes a French-speaking officiant licensed by New York City to conduct your ceremony. The package includes a bouquet of red roses, candles for the ceremony ritual, and preparation of a ceremony speech that tells your love story. Contact us for a precise quote based on the services you want, using our contact form.