California restores ‘bride’ and ‘groom’ to marriage licenses

Sacramento, Calif., Oct 9, 2008 / 02:16 am

The California Department of Public Health, which provides marriage-license forms to counties across the state, will again allow couples who contract a marriage to again identify themselves as “bride” and “groom” on their marriage licenses starting in November.

According to the California Catholic Daily, following the California Supreme Court decision imposing same-sex marriages in the state, the vital statistics section of the state health department created new marriage license forms allowing couples only to identify themselves as “Party A” and “Party B.”

The change was strongly protested. Rachel Bird and Gideon Codding of Roseville, California last week sued the state over the elimination of the traditional description.

However, a spokeswoman for the Department of Public Health told the Sacramento Bee the new forms were not a response to the lawsuit

“Many Californians have asked to have the option to identify as ‘bride’ and ‘groom’ on their marriage license form,” says an announcement on the Public Health Department’s web site. “The California Department of Public Health has been reviewing how we can provide those options in a way that is consistent with court rulings on marriage. The state will begin using new forms effective November 17th that will include boxes for ‘bride’ or ‘groom.’ Identifying as a ‘bride’ or a ‘groom’ is optional, not mandatory.”

Under the new marriage-license rules, couples may choose “bride” and “groom,” “bride” and “bride,” “groom” and “groom” or leave the section blank, the California Catholic Daily reports.