An Impromptu Wedding for Julia + Sean at the Burbank AMC 16

My husband and I have Date Night every Friday (highly recommend it), so there I was in the parking lot of Barnes and Noble, when my cell phone rang. Yes, sometimes Date Night consists of going to Barnes and having coffee while I read Vanity Fair and Zane looks for a new Jack Reacher novel he hasn’t read yet. Don’t judge. 

So, Julia tells me that she and her fiancé Sean just got their marriage license at the Los Angeles County Recorder’s office in Norwalk, but too late to get married there, too. They didn’t want to wait and they found me on Yelp – could I marry them tonight?

Sure! 

We set up a time to meet in front of the AMC 16 in Burbank. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to pick them out, and then Zane pointed…at the girl wearing a short white dress racing up with a boy in a white dress shirt and tie. Bingo. 

The movie theater has a wrap-around balcony at the top of the escalator, so we picked the side that was a little more discreet. Not sure if we broke any ordinances, but hey, I’ll do anything for love. 

Look at them!

I love my job, people!

Couple of things though,that you probably should know about getting your marriage license in Los Angeles County:

– You can get your license up to 90 days (3 months) before your wedding date. So, if you’re getting married in June, you can get your license now. 

-Although you can apply for the license online, you have to pick it up and pay for it at the Los Angeles County Recorder’s Office together.   The link above will give you the various locations.

-Most offices are closed by either 3 or 4pm. 

-It is $90 for  a public license, which allows you to get married anywhere in California. A confidential license is $85, and only allows you to get married in Los Angeles County. Most people get the public license.

-Do yourself a favor and have a certified copy of your marriage certificate sent to you for $15. Otherwise you will have to go down to the office again to pick it up.

– If you want to have your ceremony performed right after you get your license, you have to make an appointment, and those appointment times are even more limited. Beverly Hills, for instance, only does them on Wednesdays and Fridays. 

-Ceremonies are $25, plus an additional $18 if you need a witness. You have to have  witness. Zane was Julia and Sean’s, BTW.

-It is very hard to get someone on the phone to ask questions. After calling for two days in order to track down a certificate (TWO DAYS), this is the one number I’ve found that will eventually connect you to an honest-to-God real live person: 800-815-2666. 

-If you would like me to perform your marriage ceremony, well, I’d love to. Email me or give me a call. 

See you at the end of the aisle, 

Liz Coopersmith

Silver Charm Events

323-592-9318