By Completing Pre Marital Classes You Not Only Get A Discount On Your Marriage License You Can Also Marry Without The Waiting Period…
It’s not unusual for someone to contact me trying to find a way to “speed things up.” Texas has a 3 day Waiting Period unless you fit into the Military category or, complete Premarital Counseling. The Counseling option also gives you a discount on your Marriage License so it’s worth looking into.
I Officiate and Coordinate many Military Weddings each year and enjoy Elopements. If you’re looking for affordable photography, we offer that too.
A few days ago, one of my previous Military Clients contacted me regarding a Baptism. We also perform numerous Baptisms, Memorials and a wide range of Religious Services and Ceremonies so I’m honored to have been selected to share the joy of this wonderful family again to Baptize their child. If you need a service you don’t see listed on this site, please feel free to contact me for more information- we love creative requests!
Yesterday, I spoke with Traveanna who’s marrying at TDCJ Coffield Unit Tuesday regarding a text that she was planning to pick up her marriage license on the way to Tennessee Colony. Marrying on the same day is traditionally reserved for Military Couples unless couples have completed a Pre Marital Class. These classes have gained popularity in the past several years.
A few weeks ago, Traveanna had contacted me regarding a package she had purchased for Pre Marital Counseling through The Wife and Inmate Connection believing they had an affiliation with either me or Texas Twins Events.
Texas Twins Events and Texas Prison Weddings With Rev Wendy Wortham have no affiliation whatsoever with Wife and Inmate Connection. I send all of my clients directly to Two Together. You can complete your course work at your own pace and there are no hidden fees.
Due to the confusion over me being affiliated with another organization, I’m going to clarify that I am affiliated with Two Together In Texas and have been for over five years. I can also conduct Approved Pre Marital Classes but, due to my schedule, am often not available on short notice.
Because of this fact, I’m adding a link for my clients to purchase packets directly through Two Together In Texas at a price far below Wife and Inmate Connection— Pre Marital Counseling Packet Two Together In Texas Link.
Traveanna encountered an issue with her purchase for the package at Wife and Inmate Connection. The problem? No Certificate. Without the required Certificate, the County Clerk will not issue a discounted Marriage License OR Waive the Three Day Waiting Period. I instructed Traveanna to contact Wife and Inmate Connection and demand the Certificate OR a full refund. Several days later, Traveanna finally received her certificate.
More often than not, I hear horror stories of others being taken advantage of. The issue is usually involving paying someone else for a service they expected to receive. Over the past several months, I’ve helped 7 people either get a refund, partial refund or in Traveanna’s case, her Certificate.
If you’ve paid for a service you didn’t receive, it’s imperative that you escalate a claim via PayPal, your credit card provider or the bank for your debit card purchase. If you don’t know how to do this, contact me for more information.
The Texas Family Code
Title 1. The Marriage Relationship
Subtitle A. Marriage
Chapter 2. The Marriage Relationship
Sec. 2.001. Marriage License (a) A man and a woman desiring to enter into a ceremonial marriage must obtain a marriage license from the county clerk of any county in this state.
Sec. 2.002. Application For License. Except as provided by Section 2.006, each person applying for a license must:
1. appear before the county clerk
2. submit the persons proof of identity and age as provided by Section 2.005 (b);
3. provide the information applicable to that person for which spaces are provided in the application for a marriage license;
4. mark the appropriate boxes provided in the application; and
5. take the oath printed on the application and sign the application before the county clerk.
If you are unable to visit the clerk together to obtain your marriage license, you will need an Absentee Affidavit. This applies to Military Personnel as well as TDCJ Marriages. If your partner is incarcerated, you will need them to visit the Law Library to get an Absentee Affidavit notarized PRIOR to visiting the clerk for a Marriage License. Their signature and name MUST MATCH their ID.
Sec 2.006 Absent Applicant. (a) If an applicant who is 18 years of age or older is unable to appear personally before the county clerk to apply for a marriage license, any adult person or the other applicant may apply on behalf of the absent applicant. (b) The person applying on behalf of an absent applicant shall provide to the clerk: 1. notwithstanding Section 132.001, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, the notarized Affidavit of the Absent Applicant as provided by this subchapter; and 2. Proof of the identity and age of the absent applicant under Section 2.005 (b). (c) Notwithstanding subsection (a), the clerk may not issue a marriage license for which both applicants are absent unless the person applying on behalf of each absent applicant provides to the clerk an affidavit declaring that the applicant is a member of the armed forces of the United States stationed in another country in support of combat or another military operation.
Sec. 2.0071 Maintenance Of Records By Clerk Relating To License For Absent Applicant. A county clerk who issued a marriage license for an Absent Applicant shall maintain the Affidavit of the Absent Applicant and the application for the marriage license in the same manner that the clerk maintains an application for a marriage license submitted by two applicants in person.
If you are a Military Family, the minute you purchase a marriage license, I can marry you on the courthouse steps and have many times in many counties. I.E. there is no waiting period. If you aren’t a Military Couple, you can take an 8 hour course and upon completion, use your certificate to purchase a marriage license at a discount AND waive your waiting period. Military Couples can also take a premarital course for a discounted Marriage License.
Sec. 2.013. PREMARITAL EDUCATION COURSES. (a) Each person applying for a marriage license is encouraged to attend a premarital education course of at least 8 hours during the year preceding the date of the application for the license. (b) A premarital education course must include instruction in: (1) conflict management; (2) communication skills; and (3) the key components of a successful marriage. (c) A course under this section should be offered by instructors trained in a skills-based and research-based marriage preparation curricula. The following individuals and organizations may provide courses:
(1) marriage educators;
(2) clergy or their designees;
(3) licensed mental health instructors;
(4) faith based organizations; and
(5) community based organizations.
If you have more questions regarding Absentee affidavits, premarital Counseling or any other questions regarding marriage, please contact me for more information.
I believe that Premarital Counseling helps prepare couples for a long lasting Marriage. These courses take 8 hours and up but in the long run, give couples insights that will last a lifetime…