We just got married, and now are running into all of the run problems of changing official documents. It seems that we need a “marriage certificate” in order to do all of this - but it’s been a month, and we haven’t recieved one in the mail.
Does anybody know what the protocol is for this? When should it show up?
You might get a better response in GQ. I’m sure this is different where ever you live. But I’ll try and remember what I had to do. The original should be maintained at either the county clerk or the city clerks office. Generally you have to request an official copy in person. I would contact the clerk in the town you got married in to find out the proceedures.
You would/should have signed the certificate on the day along with the 2 other members of the wedding party. It would also have been signed by the officiating priest (or what-have-you.) You should have that with you now.
When I got married (the first time) we signed our certificates, and got a short form marriage certificate (basically a fill in the blanks type thing). For the formal marriage certificate we had to go to city hall and pay 5 bucks for a certified copy. This was in CT, so YMMV.
I’m guessing it won’t come automatically.
In Newport, RI, we had to apply for a marriage license before the wedding. When we did so, we were given a form to bring or mail to the city clerk’s office (along with a check for $10) three-four weeks after the wedding, in order to get a copy of the marriage certificate.
Texas…we both signed the “official” original marriage certificate…plus witnesses. The judge signed it, the clerk notarized it and made the courthouse a copy right there. I paid her a few bucks and we left with it.
Call 'em and ask.
I agree with coop. Here the bride, groom, celebrant and two witnesses sign three separate copies of the marriage certificate immediately after the wedding ceremony:
In Indiana, you have to file for a license in person, and then you get a “fill-in-the-blank” form for the day of the ceremony. After you’re official, the bride, groom, and officient sign it and send it in. I had to go down town in person 2-3 weeks later to get stamped copies. And make sure they emboss them really really well (if they use an embosser). I was audacious enough to ask the lady to use a different printer (since hers wasn’t working and she’d used the one across the office two minutes beforehand - while I was in line!!), and I swear she barely put any effort into it. Three years later, they look like copies!
I figured it out now; apparently, we’re supposed to go to the courthouse and pay cash for an “official copy.” 
We recently had a problem with this – they wouldn’t put Pepper Mill on our new insurance at work because our marriage license wasn’t complete.
We had the carbon copies they gave us the day we all signed the form, but that copy didn’t have the county clerk’s signature or (oddly) the date. The da we got married the clerk’s office wasn’t open, of course.
We had to call on the various county clerk’s offices, and even track down our minister. Fortunately, they finally dug up the right form, and we got a copy of it.
Moral: It might not be important now, but you can never tell. So it’s worth your while to go down to the clerk’s office and get a complete copy.