General Procedure One of the most interesting, and somewhat unusual, duties of a Florida Notary Public is to perform marriage ceremonies. The law authorizing Notaries “to solemnize the rites of matrimony" was enacted in 1861. To solemnize a marriage, a notary must follow this general procedure:

Prior to the marriage ceremony

• The couple must present to the notary a valid Florida marriage license obtained from a County Court Judge or Clerk of the Circuit Court. • It is advised that the notary check both the effective and the expiration dates of the license to ensure that the license is valid.* • The notary must also require identification if the bride and groom are not personally known to you. *Note: The marriage license is only valid for 60 days after issuance. Thus, the ceremony must be performed before these 60 days expire.

Performing the marriage ceremony

• An example of a simple, civil ceremony (in English and in Spanish) is included below. • The ceremony may be personalized, and the bride and groom may even exchange their own vows. However, the couple's vows must reflect their intentions to make a legally binding commitment to each other. Completing the certificate portion of the Marriage Record • Detailed instructions regarding the completion of the certificate portion of the Marriage Record is included below. • Returning this certificate to the office that issued the marriage license no later than 10 after days of solemnizing the marriage. • To find a complete list of all of the Clerks of Court in the State of Florida click here. Sample Wedding Ceremony Opening of Ceremony Notary opens the ceremony and addressing those in attendance by stating, “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today/tonight to join this man and this woman in (holy) matrimony” Exchange of Vows Notary asks the man, "(his name), do you take this woman to be your wife, to live together in (holy) matrimony, to love her, to honor her, to comfort her, and to keep her in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?" Man answers, "I do." (Repeat the same for the woman) Notary states, to the couple, "Please, repeat after me." To the man: "I, (his name), take you (her name), to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part." (Repeat the same for the woman) Exchange of Rings Notary asks the man to place the ring on the woman's finger and to repeat the following, “I give you this ring as a token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love." (Repeat the same for the woman). Pronouncement Notary asks the couple to join hands, and then declares, "By virtue of the authority vested in me under the laws of the State of Florida, I now pronounce you husband and wife." To the man: "You may kiss the bride." Ejemplo de Ceremonia en Español Inicio de la ceremonia El notario formula: "Queridos amigos aquí presentes, nos hemos reunido hoy (o esta noche) para unir a este hombre y a esta mujer en (sagrado) matrimonio." Intercambio de votos matrimoniales El notario le pregunta al hombre: "¿(Nombre del novio) recibe usted a esta mujer para ser su esposa, para vivir juntos en (sagrado) matrimonio, para amarla, honrarla, consolarla y cuidarla, en salud y en enfermedad, guardándole fidelidad, durante el tiempo que duren sus vidas?" El hombre responde: "Sí quiero." El notario le pregunta a la mujer: "¿(Nombre de la novia) recibe usted a este hombre para ser su esposo, para vivir juntos en (sagrado) matrimonio, para amarlo, honrarlo, consolarlo y cuidarlo, en salud y en enfermedad, guardándole fidelidad, durante el tiempo que duren sus vidas?" La mujer responde: "Sí quiero." El notario formula: "Repita después de mí." Al hombre: "Yo (nombre del contrayente), te recibo a ti (nombre de la contrayente) para ser mi esposa, para tenerte y protegerte de hoy en adelante, para bien y para mal, en la riqueza y en la pobreza, en salud y en enfermedad, para amarte y cuidarte hasta que la muerte nos separe." El notario formula: "Repita después de mí." A la mujer: "Yo (nombre de la contrayente), te recibo a ti (nombre del contrayente) para ser mi esposo, para tenerte y protegerte de hoy en adelante, para bien y para mal, en la riqueza y en la pobreza, en salud y en enfermedad, para amarte y cuidarte hasta que la muerte nos separe." Intercambio de alianzas matrimoniales (anillos) El notario le pide al hombre que ponga la alianza en el dedo de la mujer y que repita lo siguiente: "Yo te coloco esta alianza como señal y promesa de nuestro amor constante y fidelidad duradera." (El notario repite lo mismo para la mujer). Declaración El notario le pide a la pareja que se tomen de las manos y declara: "En virtud de la autoridad que me conceden las leyes del Estado de la Florida, los declaro marido y mujer." Al hombre: "Puede besar a la novia." Completing the Marriage Record/Licence The Marriage Record form below is the official state record of the marriage and contains three sections: Application to Marry [spaces 1-16]. This information is completed by the bride and groom when they apply for the marriage license. Notice that they must swear to the issuing official that the information provided is true. This is the notarization of the bride and groom's signatures done by a judge or a Deputy Clerk in the Office of the Clerk of Circuit Court. License to Marry [spaces 17-20c]. This section is the authorization for the couple to be married and contains official information maintained by the Clerk's Office. This section also includes the effective and the expiration dates of the license, and must contain the seal of the Clerk of the Circuit Court to be valid. Certificate of Marriage [spaces 21-25]. The required information in this section must be completed in black ink by the person performing the ceremony - the Notary Public. You will certify the date and location of the marriage, and add your signature, name, title, and address as the person performing the ceremony. Your notary seal must also be affixed in space 23b. Witnesses are optional, and if included, they should sign in black ink in spaces 24-25. After the Certificate is completed, you are required to return the Marriage Record to the official who issued it within 10 days after the ceremony. Most Clerks’ Offices provide written instructions and a self-addressed envelope to accommodate this task. After the Marriage Record is recorded, the Clerk's Office will mail a certified copy to the couple. If you or your customers have additional questions about the Marriage Record or the procedure to apply for a marriage license, please contact the Clerk of the Circuit Court, Marriage Division, in your county. Click here for more Florida Notary Laws Related to Solemnizing Marriage