E W ’ S
W E D D I N G S
2 0 1 2
County Weddings
LANE COUNTY WILL HELP YOU DO THE DEED
I
’m the fi rst to admit that I am not totally up on the
way this whole wedding thing works. I ducked out
at the last minute on my own trip to the altar. And
many of my friends are single; apparently the rest
think my wedding unwillingness is contagious, and
this has led to a pleasant dearth of bridesmaid gigs.
While I’ve been to my share of weddings, I’ve
pretty much managed to avoid all the behind-the-scenes
stuff. This is probably why, after one or two probing
journalistic questions about getting married, Marle
Hoehne, program supervisor at Lane County Deeds and
Records, gently inquired: “Can I ask you a personal
question? You’ve never been married, have you?”
Who knew that in order to get hitched in Oregon
a couple must both get a license and have an actual
ceremony, too? Turns out you can’t just sign a document
and be done with it. The license costs $60. A domestic
partnership certifi cate costs the same. Hoehne says the state
does not require a ceremony for domestic partnerships.
The lack of a ceremony requirement emphasizes that get-
ting domestically partnered is not the same as getting mar-
ried — in everything from the ritual to the rights. The silver
lining is that same-sex unions have a little more fl exibility
regarding the ceremony itself, since it isn’t mandated.
According to Oregon law, a man and woman must
declare in front of the person performing the marriage
ceremony, as well as two witnesses, that they agree to take
each other as husband and wife. You can’t marry your fi rst
cousin in Oregon, though apparently there are more states
by Camilla Mortensen
And while the county clerk and the deputy clerks
are authorized to do it, the marriage ceremony is not
a mandated function; on days the offi ce is booked up,
weddings aren’t performed. But, Hoehne says, on
days such as Valentine’s Day, the offi ce adds in extra
ceremonies because “the staff are romantics.”
The civil ceremony will run you about $100.
I’m going to take a wild guess and say that’s a lot
cheaper than renting a venue and securing an offi ciant.
Admittedly, the architecture of the Lane County Public
Service Building and Courthouse doesn’t scream
“romantic,” but Hoehne says that, weather permitting,
ceremonies are performed up on roof. Otherwise they
are in the atrium area, or in a conference room. “The
various spots that we go depend on the weather and
PHOTO BY T RAS K BE DORT H A
what’s available,” Hoehne says.
Ceremonies “run the gamut,” Hoehne says, with some
in the U.S. where you can marry your cousin than there are
couples showing up in tuxes and white dresses with their
states allowing same-sex unions.
families, and others drumming up the required witnesses
Hoehne says a statutory function of the county clerk’s
by stopping strangers they meet in the hallway and asking
offi ce is to issue marriage licenses. The ceremony must
if they have 10 minutes to spare.
happen within 60 days. Couples have three options when it
An average of fi ve or six ceremonies are performed a
comes to getting legally wed, Hoehne says: judges, clergy
week, Hoehne says. He adds that at certain times of year,
and county clerks.
such as the month of June, the number increases.
If you aren’t the church, temple, synagogue or insert-
How fancy your wedding is or whom you get to
religious-venue-of-choice-here type, and you don’t have
witness it doesn’t seem to be an indicator of whether
a friend who’s a judge, the Lane County clerk’s offi ce
you stay hitched. It’s not the witness that matters, nor
offers marriage ceremonies weekdays at 9 am and 9:30 am,
the ceremony; it’s whom you’re marrying, right? Let me
Hoehne says. That’s a little early for me, but for others it’s
know how it goes.
probably a nice way to start the day.
ew
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