What are Marriage Records?

Marriage records are the gateway to a plethora ofuseful information, particularly when performinggenealogy research. Many times, they can open thedoor to a great deal of information about a particularperson or couple. For example, you may be able tolearn the maiden name of the bride, therebypresenting a whole new clue into your ancestors!Genealogy research involves a lot of hard work and justas much time, but it can be quite exciting and highlyrewarding.

There are, of course, other times when youmay want to secure marriage records on acertain couple or individual. Indeed, marriagerecords can provide intriguing informationabout individuals, both living and deceased.

The Value of Finding Marriage Records

If you want to start filling out your family tree, thenbegin with a search for marriage records. You may beable to find out a great deal of information about boththe bride and groom, including: their full names, theirages at the time of their marriage application, theirresidences and occupations at the time of the marriageapplication, and their parents’ names and addresses.For individuals performing genealogy research, thisinformation can prove truly invaluable!

Where to Find Marriage Records

Marriage records can vary, depending on the time andplace of the wedding. They may include a formal license orcertificate, or they may be kept by the church in which thecouple was married.

With that said, there may be many resources throughwhich you can obtain marriage records. You may start yoursearch by looking through newspaperannouncements, through church directories and records, orthrough local or state courthouses. However, most of thesesearches require that you have a good understanding of theapproximate date of the marriage record, as well as ageneral location of where the marriage record was applied.

Taking your Search Online

However, if you don’t know thesedetails, and you are armed only with thebride and groom’s names and the countyor state in which they applied for themarriage record, you may need to takeyour search online.

If you know the names of the bride andgroom and the general location of wherethe marriage took place, then you cansearch through county clerk records, publicaccess records, county court records, statepublic records, civil records and staterecords.

However, for the sake of time (and to ease frustration and a lot of legwork), there are a number of great websites that may help you perform searches for marriage records. Many of these websites allow you to perform a comprehensive search of all the above mentioned sources – all while seated in the comfort of your own home.

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There are many state, city and county records thatare kept online, so you may begin your search there.However, if you want to perform a more comprehensivesearch, you may want to use a marriage records website.

Many times, these websites, for a nominal fee orsubscription, will allow you to search for any number ofrecords, including marriage records. Make sure that thewebsite you are using is reputable before beginning yoursearch, as there are just as many websites that providefalse or inaccurate information.

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