We reached out to Officiant Bil Malbon with Tiny Chapel Weddings to talk about how a couple should handle their marriage license amongst COVID-19 concerns, postponements, and cancelations. Here’s what he had to say:

Several couples have contacted me about their wedding plans since the CDC urged all gatherings of 50 or more people to be cancelled or postponed for the next eight weeks. With Governor Northam restricting all gatherings of 10 or more people to follow federal guidelines, many couples are struggling to figure out what to do next.

Couples that already have their wedding licenses need to remember that it is only good for 60 days. If they do not use it then it must be returned to the clerk’s office. The clerk will re-issue a new license but since they have to go in-person they should be aware that some circuit courts are also closing over the next few weeks due to the restrictions so rescheduling may be tricky.

Couples that still want to get married in April or May but don’t have their licenses should be aware of the closures and that any circuit court in Virginia can issue their license and that it is good anywhere in the Commonwealth. They may have to call around or travel a bit but there are still some that are open for business.

For those that have their licenses and still want to get married on their “scheduled” date but have lost their venue and are looking for a place to have a ceremony with 9 people or less (the couple, six guests or less and the officiant) on short notice. The answer is to elope and have a ceremony at any number of parks located around the Richmond area. Many officiants offer reduced rates for elopements and they may be able to negotiate using their deposits to cover the celebrant’s expenses. They should also consider contracting them to officiate their “big to do” when it happens.

A note:

One of Bil’s couples still plans on getting married on their scheduled date and time this year with just their parents in attendance and rescheduling the big event for their first anniversary.

If the couple still wants a church wedding or have an enclosed space as a contingency for weather concerns, there is always the option to have the ceremony at home or use our Tiny Chapel.  It will be open to any couple and their officiant who would like to use it for a reduced fee.

A huge thank you to Bil for getting us this helpful information. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions. And, if you’re looking for an officiant, contact Bil and Tiny Chapel Weddings at: tinychapelweddings@gmail.com.

And, as always, feel free to use Richmond Weddings™ and our social media outlets are a resource during this unpredictable time!