Marriage License Laws and Contact Info
Telling the World
Wedding Announcements—The most important announcement will be to your parents, and this should be made in person, with both you and your fiancé present.
If a personal visit is not possible, you should find time to call and share the good news. It’s up to you as to when you want to tell your other friends and family members about your engagement. Some couples choose to do so immediately and others like to spend a few days sharing their excitement together before madness ensues. A phone call is always more personal, however today, a text message, an email, an update on Facebook, even a Tweet is becoming acceptable.
Often your parents won’t know the groom’s parents. You should arrange a meeting early on because they’ll all want to be involved in the wedding plans.
The most traditional and prestigious way to inform everyone else is through an engagement announcement in your hometown newspaper(s). Most newspapers take two to four weeks to print the announcement, so place it in plenty of time.
Your newspaper office should have a form to complete supplying you with the necessary questions for your article. If you’d like to include a photograph, a black and white photo is preferred, although some publishers accept color photos. Some papers offer color photographs for an additional charge. The picture can be a head to shoulder photo of the bride-to-be or the engaged couple, a three-quarter length shot or even just a headshot or engagement shot from the shoulders up. Each newspaper has different photographic requirements, so contact your local paper for this information.
After the wedding has taken place and even after you’ve returned from your honeymoon, you should place your wedding announcement. The information will be much the same as the engagement announcement, except it should include when and where the wedding took place, the officiator’s name, names of the honor attendant and best man, and often the names of other attendants.
Include a formal picture from your wedding. Follow up with a phone call to the newspaper to confirm receipt of your announcement and photograph.
| COOK COUNTY www.cookctyclerk.com |
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| 18 N. Clark Chicago 312.603.5664 |
2121 Euclid Rolling Meadows 847.818.2850 |
5600 Old Orchard Skokie 847.470.7233 |
| 1311 Maybrook Square Maywood 708.865.6010 |
16501 S. Kedzie Rm. 238 Markham 708.210.4150 |
10220 S. 76th Ave. Bridgeview 708.974.6150 |
| DUPAGE COUNTY www.co.dupage.il.us 421 N. County Farm Rd. Wheaton 630.682.7035 |
KANE COUNTY www.co.kane.il.us 719 Batavia Ave. (Rt. 31) Geneva 630.232.5950 |
KENDALL COUNTY www.co.kendall.il.us 111 W. Fox St. Yorkville 630.553.4104 |
| LAKE COUNTY www.co.lake.il.us 18 N. County St. Rm. 101 Waukegan 847.377.2400 |
McHENRY COUNTY www.co.mchenry.il.us 667 Ware Rd. Woodstock 815.334.4242 |
| WILL COUNTY www.thewillcountyclerk.com |
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| 302 N. Chicago Joliet 815.740.4626 |
241 Canterbury Ln. Bolingbrook 630.759.1317 |
1367 Wood St. Crete 708.672.8279 |