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Celebrate Your Wedding Anniversary in Style

By: Shawn Kohan

My parents always downplay their wedding anniversaries. They've been together for over 30 years but seldom exchange gifts. It's not uncommon for both of them to forget their anniversary and only days later say, "Oh, by the way, happy anniversary for last week." I don't understand, I've always thought that wedding anniversaries are special events in the lives of married couples. Ideally, they testify to the endurance of love. They also provide opportunities to look back on your marriage and marvel at how far you've progressed as a couple, and the obstacles that you've overcome. They give you time to celebrate all of the good times that you've had and to look forward to the years ahead. I can't help it, I'm an incurable romantic. Plus they're a good excuse to throw one hell of a party.

Wedding anniversary gifts have long been associated with certain symbols and materials. Over time some of the traditional gifts have made way for more modern items, but they still serve to highlight milestones that are generally achieved year by year. Gifts for the first few years tend to symbolise endurance, commitment and growth. First year anniversary gifts, for example, include paper and clocks. Paper is supposed to symbolise strength, like the strength that comes from the interlocking threads from which paper is made. A clock is a testament to your dedication and commitment to the road ahead. Cotton, a second year gift, stands for durability and versatility.

It's only really from the tenth year that gifts start to increase in value, which is equated with the increased worth that your marriage holds as time passes. One of the recommended gifts for a tenth year anniversary is diamonds. Diamonds feature in many anniversaries, probably because they are so precious, but also because they are impossible to break. Other ten-year gifts include tin and aluminium, to once again remind you that your marriage needs to be flexible and strong.

My grandparents were married for over 60 years, at which point diamonds and gold feature prominently. It is also at this point that diamonds stop serving as a reminder to be strong and start testifying to the constancy of your love. If you've been avoiding diamonds since your 10th anniversary, now is the time to splash out on something extravagant. A magnificent yellow diamond, the traditional 60-year anniversary gift, ought to do it.

Marriages are successful not only because of the hard work of the couple concerned, but also because the couple has the love and support of friends and family. As the years progress and you venture into the double figures, it's important to occasionally include your extended circle of loved ones in your celebrations.

Significant wedding anniversaries that should be celebrated with a proper shindig can probably be counted in decades, starting with the 10th and moving on up. On occasions such as these it's often a good idea to hire professionals to handle all of the arrangements, from the catering through to the décor and the clean up afterwards. Any number of events companies specialise in private celebrations such as wedding anniversaries. You can rely on their vast experience in the field to ensure that all of your anniversaries are as magical and as memorable as your years of marriage have been.

Public Marriage Records Online

By: Ben Jen

Marriage is much more serious than it's treated by many. In the US, the state steps in to help make the point. Like other cosmopolitan environments, there are variations among the ethnic and religious groups in joining people in matrimony. The requirements can also differ from state to state but people other than the couple are always involved. Yes, there will be a conducting official. Legal witnesses of the ceremony are also required in certain states. Even God and deceased ancestors may also be involved by religious and customary practices.

Rejection and protest from certain religious groups or beliefs notwithstanding, it is mandated by law that a marriage can only legally proceed after a Marriage License has been obtained from the state authorities. The requisites for application are typically age, identity, residency, medical examinations and clearance from any previous marriages if any. They can be issued by the state of residence of the couple or where the marriage ceremony is planned to be officially conducted. Fees are usually nominal but lead time can be long, up to a month in some states. After the ceremony, the license is then signed off by the new couple and the official to file for certification and the issuance of the Marriage Certificate.

Both the license and certificate are then entered as marriage records into the respective files of the new spouses. They will then be maintained as public records at the county or state where the marriage has taken place, whichever is the prevailing practice. Being public records, they will be subject to public retrieval and search as long as procedures are complied with and fees are paid.

Same-sex, or gay marriages are a little bit trickier. They are recognized in less than half the states. A handful others are fuzzy about it, recognizing them as legal union and offering explicit marriage rights and responsibilities while not calling them marriages. Be prepared for some surprises with such states.

There are basically two types of service we can turn to for marriage license or record search, the free public offices and the paid providers. Free services tend to be discrete and scattered so it can be quite time-consuming and tedious. Paid versions come at different levels of professionalism. The better rated ones can deliver very comprehensive reports. Over and above public resources, many have access to private and privileged databases.

Conducting public marriage records search is often contentious. Except for super-snoops, people have better things to do than prying others' private lives. It is usually done on those who are more than acquaintance, and ironically with whom we relate with fondness. Inherently, it infringes the expectation of trust. Tussle between the sense and the feelings, there is never an outright correct answer.

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