Getting Married Outside of the US

May 17, 2005 10:12 AM

I'm looking to elope later this year. The plan is to go on honeymoon to a place like Belize, starting off (there) with a simple, unattended ceremony. What are the implications of getting married outside of the US, and what sort of things do I need to do prior to the trip down there? Is this a bad idea?
posted by davebug to law & government (6 comments total)

I got great answers on my question on Belize, and we had a fantastic time there, so I heartily recommend that part of the plan. About the eloping, I don't know. Email me if you have specific questions about Belize.
posted by muckster at 10:23 AM on May 17, 2005

My wife and I were in Belize last month on vacation. If you've never been there, you'll love it! Hurricane season is September/October. Though they usually don't get hit very hard there are predictions that this year in general will be big for hurricanes. From now until September is their slow season, so you'd have little trouble finding a room. They get busier around the Christmas holidays up until April.

As for marriage specifics, according to a post on Belize forum: "Very simple and legally acknowledged in any country: You must be in Belize 3 days and then can submit your application on the 4th (business) day and get your license the following (business) day. Govt of Belize charges US$100.00." Do a search on "weddings" and you will get quite a few hits. A forum member named Katie Valk is a source of valuable information.

You should also be aware that there has been a bit of political trouble in Belize this year which has resulted in sporadic phone and electricity outages. Nothing major. It's a beautiful country with wonderful people. Enjoy!

Any other questions about Belize, feel free to email me at the address in my profile.
posted by SteveInMaine at 10:31 AM on May 17, 2005

• Lonely Planet Belize
• Fodor's Belize and Guatemala 2005
• Moon Handbooks Belize

posted by nitsuj at 10:32 AM on May 17, 2005

What are the implications of getting married outside of the US

Mazeltov! But should you ever get divorced, you could conceivably find getting original marriage documents slightly trickier than usual.

There shouldn't be any other consequences than that -- and even if there were, even if for some reason Belize-ian marriages were no longer kosher in the US, the worst that would reasonably happen would be that you'd have to get legally married again at the local courthouse, or whatever the most convenient manner might be for you.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 11:08 AM on May 17, 2005

A relative of a friend recently considered the same question. They were having their marriage ceremony in Mexico. I don't know exactly what they thought about, but they ended up having a quick civil proceeding in the U.S. a month or two before the "real" ceremony in Mexico. They kept the U.S. marriage very low-key so it wouldn't dull the excitement of their wedding day. I think they concluded that it was better to do the U.S. marriage before the Mexican one, but I don't know the reasoning (maybe whichever comes first determines the law under which the marriage is formed?). Anyways, good luck!
posted by brain_drain at 11:30 AM on May 17, 2005

IANAL, but AFAIK the law under which the marriage is formed normally isn't relevant to anything -- the relevant factors are the laws around marriage in the jurisdiction where you live, or where an asset is. Even if you were married in New York, Canada, or Proxima Centauri, the community-property laws of Texas or California still apply to you if you live there. Likewise, divorces proceed under the laws of the state in which you're seeking to divorce, not under the laws under which the marriage was contracted.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 11:53 AM on May 17, 2005