Cook County’s first marriage of the year has long been a tradition of the Cook County Clerk’s Office (“CCCO”), however the recently elected Clerk, Karen A. Yarbrough, wants to expand on that tradition and add a few additional dates to the roster—starting with this upcoming Valentine’s Day.
This upcoming February 14, 2019, Clerk Yarbrough will marry one lucky couple during a FREE wedding ceremony at the CCCO brand new “Just Married” alcove in its downtown Chicago location (50 W. Washington, CL-25, Chicago, Illinois 60602). In addition to the FREE wedding ceremony, the couple will also receive an assortment of special Valentine’s Day goodies from the CCCO and local businesses, including but not limited to, a commemorative certificate, as well as having all application and certificate fees waived for the marriage/civil union license.
For any couple interested in participating in Cook County’s first-ever Valentine’s Day Marriage Sweepstakes, please email the CCCO at [email protected], or contact us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. All entries must be submitted by end of business day (5:00pm) Thursday, February 7, 2019 in order to qualify. When entering via email, please include “Valentine’s Day Wedding Entry” in the subject line, as well as the names of both parties, a phone number, email address, and preferred method of contact in the body of the email. Once all entries have been received Clerk Yarbrough will randomly draw one couple from the pool of entrants and notify the lucky couple prior to the FREE wedding ceremony on Valentine’s Day. Also, please note that the chosen couple must meet all the statutory and usual requirements necessary to marry in Cook County.
“Why limit the celebration and thanks to just one couple on one day out of the entire year,” responded Clerk Yarbrough, when asked about the expansion of the “first marriage of the year” tradition. “Our staff cares about the work we do, and the people we assist by providing birth certificates, marriage licenses and other vital records, so we are very proud and excited to find new and exciting ways to say thank you to all of our customers.”
The Clerk’s Bureau of Vital Records issues all marriage licenses in Chicago and suburban Cook County. The office issued 33,006 marriage licenses in 2018. Last Valentine’s Day the Clerk’s Office issued 161 marriage licenses while 153 couples tied the knot on that day. For more information regarding how to apply for a marriage license, or order commemorative marriage certificates and other vital records, please visit cookcountyclerk.com/Marriage.