Q&A: License to Wed; Personal Notes

License to wed

Q: We live in Texas but are getting married in Mountain View. Do we have to get a marriage license from Arkansas? If so, do we go to the local courthouse? Is there a waiting period, or can we get our license and get married the next day?

Kim SolCruz

A: Yes, you do need an Arkansas license. Here is the latest information from the Pulaski County clerk’s office: Marriage licenses may be purchased at any courthouse in the state and used in any county in the state. However, you must return the license to the county where you got it.

A marriage license costs $60 and is payable in cash only. There is no waiting period for either residents or non-residents.

Military titles

Q: My fiance serves in the Air Force. He is a non-commissioned officer. Is it proper to announce his title on our wedding invitation or would you only announce the title of a commissioned officer such as a lieutenant?

Nikki Chambers

A: According to “Emily Post’s Etiquette,” a non-commissioned officer or enlisted person may have his rank and branch of service below his name or not, as he wishes.

Here are the examples they include:

Jim Smith
Corporal, Signal Corps, United States Army
or
Mark Smith
Seaman Apprentice, United States Naval Reserve

Invitations and programs

Q: My fiance and I are getting married in January 2005. It will be the second marriage for both of us. We are having an elegant and small ceremony followed by the reception at our church with approximately 35 people attending.

Should we have invitations and a program? Is either one more appropriate than the other? My fiance says we should just call everyone to invite them, but I don’t know. Any suggestions would be helpful.

Donita McGraw

A: Personal notes are perfectly acceptable invitations for small weddings. You might just hand write a short note inviting your guests or have someone you know compose the invitations in calligraphy. If you have a high-quality laser printer you could also purchase some paper at a stationary shop and print out your invitations, perhaps using a font that looks like handwriting.

I would definitely send some kind of written invitation. Not only is it a special keepsake for you and your husband, but your guests are probably very busy and need a written reminder about the date and time.

The use of wedding programs is really just personal preference. They also are a nice memento, but if cost is a concern, programs are probably one item that you could safely cut.

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