Getting married in San Francisco Bay

[suberix]

Hello fellow sailors,

My fiancee and I would like to get married on a boat in San Francisco Bay on February second of this year. Long story short, we are getting married in a church in a foreign country, but we need to be married on paper in our country of origin first (the administration of this particular foreign country makes it next to impossible for tourists to officially get married there). We love San Francisco and figured, if we're going to do it somewhere in the US of A, might as well be there.
So I'm looking for a recommendation - we need a boat and a captain that can take us out and marry us (we would bring a marriage certificate from city hall). It's important that the captain can do both - take us out and marry us. Doesn't matter what kind of boat, but obviously we'd prefer a sailboat.
I thank you in advance for your recommendations and wish you all fair winds and following seas.

Eric

[David M]

Check the California State laws to see who can legally marry you.

I have been asked a few times to marry people because I am the captain of a boat. I also coincidentally work on the San Francisco Bay. I had to turn people away because I am not a high ranking nor elected government official nor a religious deacon of any sort...those were the requirements in California when I looked into it a number of years ago.

You will need to have a marriage certificate ahead of time which will be required to be signed by the person who is legally authorized to marry you.

If you have a group of people in attendance, Hornblower and Commodore Cruises does weddings on the SF Bay. My first wedding was done on the SF Bay by a company that is no longer around.

Congratulations and have a wonderful life together!!

Cheers,
David

[JPA Cate]

IIRC, you will both have to have an HIV test before you can get your marriage license, so you'll need to plan it all carefully so the event progresses the way you want.

enjoy,

Ann

[weavis]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

IIRC, you will both have to have an HIV test before you can get your marriage license, so you'll need to plan it all carefully so the event progresses the way you want.

enjoy,

Ann

This depends on the state in which the wedding is taking place, because the rules vary from state to state. Numerous states ended premarital blood tests and/or physical exams, but some still do require tests for illnesses such as rubella, tuberculosis, and venereal disease. In addition, since the boost in HIV and AIDS, many states call for marrying parties to be offered an HIV test and/or information on accessibility of AIDS tests. Currently no states mandate a premarital HIV/AIDS test.

http://usmarriagelaws.com/search/uni..._requirements/

[skipmac]

Yes you do need to confirm the laws in California. Who can legally perform a marriage varies a lot from state to state. In Florida a notary public can marry you but most states the requirements are a bit more stringent.

The deal about a ship's captain performing legal marriages is very out of date. In fact I have seen signs posted on boats that said "Weddings performed by the captain of this boat are good only for the duration of the voyage".

Don't think that will suffice for your requirements.

[nimblemotors]

Go to Nevada to get married legally.
Then come back to the sfbay to have a party.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by nimblemotors

Go to Nevada to get married legally.
Then come back to the sfbay to have a party.

That's hilarious because that's exactly what we did. It must be a great idea because we have our 35th anniversary this year.

[s/v Beth]

Can Elvis still marry them in Nevada? How about Elvis on a boat on Lake Mead? Or in Lake Mead in SCUBA gear??

[suberix]

Thanks! I'll look somewhere else.

[s/v Beth]

Humm sorry Suberix, maybe I got off topic too fast...
But his question was answered (wasn't it?).

[markpierce]

Some 20 years ago I attended a wedding on a Hornblower boat in San Francisco Bay. The boat was privately chartered. A minister, not the captain, married the couple. It was very romantic. I proposed to a woman on that voyage (proposal accepted).

[scotty c-m]

Hey, if you want to come to Santa Cruz I'll do it for you. I'm a Universal Life Church minister, and have done legal weddings before. If it's got to be SF, I can ask my brother. His boat is in SF. What can I say, I'm a romantic. Send me a PM.

Scotty

[dohenyboy]

In California anyone can perform the service by complying with paperwork.
In San Francisco County the clerk will deputize you for $127.00. Just one catch, you are not allowed to mention God or make any religious references in the ceremony. If you want to make any religious references you must be ordained somewhere, although no proof is required.


If you look on their website it is all explained there.


Sent from an undisclosed location on the high seas or from the lounge chair by the pool, you decide.

[JPA Cate]

^^^^^
"I am mostly on this forum for the jokes. And secondly to look for grammar and spelling errors."

If that is so, would you please be so kind as to explain why you omitted the comma after the word "secondly"--in place of reiterating the "I am mostly on this forum"?

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Ann

PS. Please feel free to mention my punctuation errors. ;-)

[dohenyboy]

The comma is not there because I am trying to be funny and informal and I am impressed you caught it. In addition, I should preferably use "second"
instead of "secondly." The more serious issue is that using "primarily" would be better than "mostly" in combination with the word "second" or "secondly." I am referring to motive and it makes more sense.

I am on this forum and other fora primarily for the jokes, but also to look for spelling, grammar and usage errors.