How to Get Married as a Gay Couple

Getting married as a gay couple poses challenges not faced by the heterosexual community, but for those in love there is always a way to marital bliss. It is legal for same sex couples to wed in Massachusetts, as well as Canada, Spain, Belgium and South Africa. There are also many locales in which gay couples can enter into a legally authorized partnership though it will not be recognized as a "marriage."

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Marriage license or legal certificate depending on the location where you wed

1. Find a location that allows for same sex marriage (or another type of authorized partnership if this is acceptable to you). This may require traveling some distance but may be well worth it for couples seeking to wed.
2. Do your research. Before making travel plans, research the laws and ordinances of the locale in which you are going to be married. For example, if you choose to wed in the Netherlands you need to know there is a three month residency requirement before a couple can marry there.
3. Discuss as a couple whether to have a prenuptial agreement. Having found your location, it is important to consider the legal ramifications of an impending union. If you decide on a prenuptial agreement, you may wish to hire an attorney to word it according to your wishes.
4. Obtain a marriage license and set the date. Once you have your location selected you will need to get a license or whatever document the country requires prior to your marriage ceremony.
5. Decide if you want a "wedding" or a simple ceremony. For those couples wanting to have a wedding, they may wish to consider hiring a wedding coordinator familiar with same sex marriage ceremonies.
6. Pick a site to tie the knot. Do you want to get married in a church, or a temple, on a beach, in the local park, a family estate or simply in front of a judge? Wherever you choose, make sure you do it your way in your own style with supporting family and friends in attendance.

Tips & Warnings

• If you wish to marry in an area that has not yet legalized same sex marriage, remember you may have a ceremony of your choosing, but the marriage will not be considered lawful.
• Remember that if you get married in a location where gay marriage is legal, your union may not be considered lawful in areas where same sex marriage is prohibited.