Contra Costa offers online wedding ceremonies

The Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder’s Office announcing this week that it is performing civil marriage ceremonies via Zoom or FaceTime for people having their weddings online during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic and resulting shelter-in-place order.

Gov. Gavin Newsom recently issued an executive order allowing the issuance of marriage licenses and civil wedding ceremonies to be conducted via teleconference during the pandemic.

In Contra Costa County, at least one of the two people getting married must be a county resident, and the couple most appear together on the video and be physically present in California. Staff from the clerk-recorder’s office will perform the ceremony, with invited guests welcome to join the call to view it.

Couples must complete marriage license forms in advance of the ceremony and have a device with a working microphone, camera and internet connection, according to the county.

Clerk-Recorder Deborah Cooper said in a news release:

“June is traditionally a month of many weddings. We are pleased to offer our constituents a creative new method to be married during this crisis.”