German marriage license

So, you want to marry the person of your dreams in Germany and you want a German marriage license?

I got married in Germany and I really enjoyed it, but it is a lot of work to get the license. The Germans are very precise and they take their time. Once you get the stacks of documents together, you can expect a little back and forth discussions before it is all final and good. Typically, you need to plan at least 2 months for all of the paperwork. Talk to your local Standesamt to get the details.

Recognize that a wedding in a church has no official status in Germany. Only a wedding performed by the Standesamt counts. So, many Germans have two weddings. We did. Fortunately, the person from the Standesamt was very nice and they came to restaurant that we were using as a reception for the civil wedding. In a separate room there, they performed a very nice service for us. It was a bit odd having the church wedding the next day, since I was already married. But, when in Rome...

I did find some general information on about.com that may also be helpful.