How to Get Married in New York City

First off, it's imperative to pick the perfect partner- one who laughs at your weirdness, accepts your ragged edges, keeps your on the straight and narrow, and overall thinks you are the bee's knees.

Have you got them?

Next, you must apply to get married! you can start online, before heading to the City Clerk's office to complete the process.

At this point you'll have a bit of waiting to do. So you'll peruse the gift shop, and the selection of bouquets...

you'll creepily watch other couples pop out of the chapel one by one, each dressed beautifully and beaming

Then it's your turn- you nervously laugh with the city clerk employee at the fact that you and your spouse are decidedly not hispanic as it says on your application, wring hands in anticipation, then breath a sigh of relief when she tells you that you can head over the courthouse anytime after 24 hours and get hitched!

So back you come the next day, fully equipped with a suit, a white dress, and a bouquet of flowers generously provided by your gracious friends for this very occasion.

The mood must be appropriately serious, of course...

 Make sure to have a few proper witnesses around; perhaps a brother...

 Or a few old friends

By the way, do NOT expect a wait at this point- at least not on a week day! You will not, in fact, have time to do more than throw a touch of mascara on, let alone trim and polish those bare nails before you're called up to get your license printed!

You hover around station 5 nervously, before being ushered into a bare gray room- the wedding chapel.

{to be continued}