Information Contained in a Marriage Record

When you decide that searching for a marriage record may be the best way to find someone you’ve lost track of, you’ll first want to ensure you can access the information you need to make your search a success. Depending upon the type of search you conduct and your relation to the couple, you may or may not be able to access the appropriate information you’re looking for, so first you’ll want to ensure you’re on the right track!

Why Search for a Record of Marriage?

Usually, there are only a few reasons that someone may search for marriage records. This may be to conduct a background search, to confirm or deny the existence of a marriage, or to find a relative or learn more about your extended family’s history. Many times, a private investigation may provide cause for a search for these records, or insurance companies and government agencies may use them to confirm the marital status of an applicant.

Where Can You Search for Marriage Records?

Many times, if you only need general information and want to retrieve it quickly, an online search is sufficient for locating the correct records. You may also want to try the state or local government’s website where the marriage occurred. Of course, you must know this piece of information before you can move forward.  It is always possible to try an online search to discover where the marriage took place, then refer to the local government to find more detailed records. 

Depending upon the type of information you need, it may be required that you visit the corresponding government office in person. If you live very far away, they may allow you to provide a written request via mail or fax as well. 

If you are sure of where the marriage took place, but can not find the correct office, you may want to try the State Registrar, Department of Health, County Clerk, Recorder or even the County Archives. Perhaps you’re lucky enough to also be armed with specific information regarding the local church where the marriage took place. In this case, you can often go directly to the church and ask if they hold these records from the time period you are searching.

What Will I Learn from Marriage Records?

The amount of information you’ll be allowed to and able to retrieve depends on three things: your relation to the couple and reason for searching, the date the wedding took place, and the holding office’s policies for disclosing this information. 

If you are the child, parent, grandparent, sibling or legal representative of one of the parties named on the marriage record, you will most likely be granted access to the most detailed information possible. This includes the full names of the bride and groom, the date and location of the wedding, their corresponding parents’ names and mothers’ maiden names, dates and places of birth, and possibly even their occupations and address. These records are ideal for the above mentioned parties for legal reasons and finding lost parents or children. For instance, if a legal representative needs to prove a couple was married to handle the estate of one party correctly, this information will be needed to prove the relationship on their behalf.

How long ago the marriage took place also has some bearing on how easy the record will be to find and how much information was recorded. Today, these records are quite detailed and easily retrieved with the use of electronic storage systems. However, your grandmother’s marriage records may have only been stored as a paper copy that can easily be misplaced or even lost forever in a natural disaster. 

Sometimes, mere indexes listing the names of brides and grooms and the dates they were married are the only records available. If you need to find records that are more than 50 years old, you may have a harder time tracking them down. When submitting a written request for these types of records, you should be prepared to wait for some time before they will be located for you.

All of these factors ultimately depend upon the state or county’s policies regarding storing, retrieving and providing marriage records for that area. Some locales may only confirm or deny a marriage without providing any further information. Others may not even have records for a specific time period that you need to find. In this case, the local archives or historical society may be your best bet in finding the appropriate records.

Know What to Expect

Every government office will allow different parties to access different information, but generally the closer your relation to the parties involved, the more details you’ll be given access to. Many times, searching for older records may require much more patience as you could easily run into several dead ends along the way. 

For the purposes of genealogical research, finding marriage records for your ancestors is one of the most important steps in building the necessary arsenal information to learn about your family’s background. Regardless of your reasons for searching, you always need to make sure you understand where marriage records are held and what information you can hope to gain before spending time conducting such a search.