Want To Perform Weddings? Special Commission Now Available to RSVP Volunteers

by Jim Evans

Believe it or not, if you are over age 55, you now may be commissioned by the County Clerk to perform civil marriage ceremonies in San Diego County through the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program, or RSVP.

Because of a shortage of commissioned personnel, the county has turned to the largest senior volunteer program in the United States to provide the necessary manpower to accommodate an increasingly large number of requests for civil unions.

Unbeknownst to most people, San Diego already has been commissioning friends or family members of prospective married couples to perform civil ceremonies — for the day of the wedding only — for a nominal fee of $50. But now, RSVP volunteers can be commissioned to perform civil marriage ceremonies on a regular basis.

These civil ceremonies must be performed during regular business hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays (except holidays) at the five county offices: downtown San Diego, Chula Vista, El Cajon, Kearny Mesa and San Marcos. Ceremonies also may be performed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Kearny Mesa office only.

Civil ceremonies are conducted in a private decorated ceremony room at most locations or, at the downtown location, on the scenic county grounds overlooking San Diego Bay for a more "romantic setting."

Witnesses can be provided if the couple does not have one, and the fee for a civil marriage is $50. No appointments are required, and the wedding ceremony may be performed the same day that the license is obtained.

A video of the wedding is also available at all locations for $10, and keepsakes in the form of certificates with the official county seal, signed by Gregory J. Smith, County Assessor/Recorder/Clerk and the Commissioner of Civil Marriages, are also available for $10. A photo in a personalized card is available for $5, with half of the proceeds donated to the Polinsky Children’s Center.

Both the prospective bride and groom must appear together to obtain a wedding license, and both must be at least age 18. Licenses for those younger than 18 have additional requirements through the Juvenile Court system. A blood test is not required, and each person must present one formof valid photo identification with proof of age. The license is effective immediately and is valid for 90 days within California.

If either the prospective bride or groom has been granted a divorce within 90 days of applying for a new marriage license, the final divorce decree must be presented at the time of issue. After the civil ceremony, the license must be returned to the county office for recording, and certified copies may be obtained within one week .

Surprisingly, there is nothing in the language of the county’s current civil marriage precepts that refers to the respective genders of the couple.

In the meantime, those interested in volunteering to perform civil marriage ceremonies should contact RSVP of San Diego County at (858) 505-6399.

For details, visit www.sdcounty.ca.gov/arcc/services/marriage-licenses.html.