Proposed Marriage Bill Could Mean More Weddings In New Jersey

If you were married in New Jersey, you at least had to have gotten your marriage license three days before making the “I do” official. Perhaps you haven’t thought much about a marriage waiting period, or maybe you didn’t care about how much it cost to get a marriage license. The thrill of a wedding can be blinding. But there are those in the state who do care about the details of marriage licensing in the state.

These are tough economic times for most states, and members of the tourism and wedding industry in New Jersey see the current licensing standards as holding the state back financially. They propose some changes that would make getting a quickie marriage here a bit easier.

According to sources, the proposal suggests the following changes to marriage licensing in New Jersey:

• The 72-hour waiting period should be eliminated, allowing couples to marry as soon as a license is bought
• The price of a marriage license in the state would increase from $28 to $60
• Couples married under these licensing laws in the state could get an annulment up to 30 days after the marriage

Supporters of this bill see the change as a way to attract more people to the state who would pay to get married here. It would be a revenue booster and capitalize on the wedding industry that other states already make good money on compared to New Jersey.

Critics of the bill worry that the changes could demean the institution of marriage. Is financial gain worth placing less ethical importance on saying “I do?”

What do you think about this marriage/business proposal for New Jersey? Is it a good idea?

Source

Mycentraljersey.com: “N.J. bill would end waiting time to wed,” John Schoonejongen, Dec. 13, 2011