Seattle is not mentioned because WA does not allow SSM. They have recently approved Domestic Partners to have all the same State benefits of marriage (though none of the Federal).

And of course there’s already a move afoot to threaten that.

Meanwhile if you and yours register DP you could have a ceremony at any one of the liberal congregations. UU churches perform a Celebration of Marriage to recognize you. Or consider going to one of the states that allow full legal marriage or civil unions. Then if you want a party back in your home state do the DP thing there.

Disclosure: no legal background, not a lawyer, don’t play one on TV, from a legal point of view even if you marry/get civilized out of state you should get registered DP in WA I think to protect your legal status.

Jennifer and I (she’s Mrs. Rae LOL) will do that the moment we finish getting me moved up there (WA). We’re already one of the 18,000 couples who were married in CA during the time in between when the Supreme court said it was our civil right to be able to do so and the time they said “oops, we were kidding”.

Well, you can usually find the requirements for marriage on the same county clerk site as the requirements for the license. Often you can deputize a friend, or have a justice of the peace or county clerk, or have a member of the clergy provide the final official signature needed to validate the license.

You just need a license and a signature. A ceremony is optional. If you are at a loss and don’t want just a judge or clerk to finalize your marriage or maybe you want a ceremony, consider contacting one of the liberal churches in your particular state. (Unitarians are a good place to start, and they will know of other liberal churches in your area as well: http://www.uua.org )

In the case of same-sex couples, reaffirmation of a same-sex marriage would only be allowed if the state allows same-sex couples to marry. (Although it might lead to an interesting legal challenge in some states, to see if a same-sex marriage from elsewhere would be recognized for purposes of reaffirmation of the marriage).

I am not aware of any restrictions in any state that recognizes marriage equality on marrying a citizen of another country.

If neither person is a citizen of the state (or country, in the case of Canada), where the marriage is to take place, there are specific rules that apply to where you obtain the license, where the marriage can be performed, and who can legally perform the marriage.

Thus, your Ohio intended and you, an Austalian, can marry in a state like Iowa, governed by the same regulations that apply to marriage of non-residents of that state.

Your marriage will not currently have federal recognition in the US, which means, among other things, that you will not be able to sponsor your wife for immigration purposes.

Similarly, since Australia does not allow OR recognize same-sex marriages, even if legally conducted in another state or country, your marriage in the US will not (currently) be recognized as such in Australia.

However, in some cases, your marriage will be recognized, but not as a marriage but some other kind of legal entity, such as a civil partnership, civil union or domestic partnership. It depends on the laws of the jurisdiction you are moving to or visiting. You must check the local laws.

Some jurisdictions prohibit residents of that jurisdiction from marrying elsewhere if the marriage would not be legal in the home state (this is the opposite of what the 1913 Massachusetts anti-evasion law did). I believe bona fide Wisconsin residents are legally prohibited from entering a same-sex marriage in another state or country. I’m not sure any other states have such a legal restriction.

Given the speed with which these laws are evolving, you need to check with a lawyer in your state and in the state or country in which you plan to marry, to find out specifics.

You may also need to check with a knowledgeable attorney or LGBT organization if you have been divorced. For example, my husband was divorced years ago and in order for us to marry in Ontario, Canada, his American divorce needed to be evaluated by a Canadian lawyer (or by provincial authorities), to ensure it was valid, before we could marry there.

Because of this, we went to British Columbia, where the restriction, if you have been divorced, is only that the divorce was not granted in the last 30 days (I think) before applying for the license, and they did NOT need to see my husband’s divorce certificate.

Again, because the laws and rules governing marriages (including opposite-gender marriages) vary from place to place. It is not enough to know that a state or country allows same-sex couples to marry.

Spain, for example, allows same-sex marriage, but I believe one of the parties MUST be a legal resident of Spain.

Hope this clears up a few questions.

Stephen J. Hyland

It is redundant, since states that recognize equal marriage rights should recognize a same-sex marriage from another state (and some, such as New York and, to a lesser extent, New Jersey, don’t allow same-sex couples to marry but do recognize marriage from another state or country as valid).

It is also a bit expensive, since there is usually a fee associated with obtaining the license. However, those that will allow reaffirmation will usually waive any waiting period after acquiring the license, since you are marrying the same person you are already married to.

It is unquestionably a romantic idea, but completely unnecessary.

Stephen