There are five things that you need to get married in Tennessee: a bride, a groom, a marriage license, an officiant and a witness. Beyond those five essentials you also need a place to get married, but that can be as simple as your own home, a public park or my office.
Before I can marry you the first thing you will need to do is get your marriage license. This process starts at any County Clerk’s office in the state where you get married. If you plan to marry in Nashville or anywhere in middle Tennessee, I recommend the Davidson County Clerk’s office in Nashville. They are located in the Howard School Office Building at 700 Second Avenue South, Suite 101, Nashville, TN 37210. Their website is http://nashvilleclerk.com/living/marriage-license/ and their phone number is 615.862.6256. The Clerk’s office hours of operation are 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday. Please visit their website to familiarize yourself with the requirements of a Tennessee marriage license. Be sure to allow sufficient time to get to the clerk’s office and go through the application process. Don’t wait until the last minute to go to the clerk’s office. I cannot perform a legally binding ceremony without a marriage license.
If you live or work in another county and will not have an opportunity to obtain your marriage license in Nashville you can get your licence from the County Clerk in any county of the state where your wedding will take place. I have married couples in Nashville using marriage licenses from Hamilton County in Chattanooga, Shelby County in Memphis and from nearly every county in middle Tennessee. Just be sure that you get the license in the same state where the wedding will take place. I cannot use an Alabama, Kentucky or any other states’ marriage license for a wedding ceremony in Tennessee.
Remember that your license is good for 30 days from the date it is issued by the Clerk’s office. This means that you must get married within 30 days or the license will expire and you would have to obtain a new license.
