FAQ

Yes. Our wedding ceremonies are 100% legal and binding under California state law — but you need a marriage license first. You can get one right here at our chapel through our authorized notary public, as long as you have a valid ID, are over 18, and are living together as spouses — no proof of residency required. Or you can bring in a license from any California county clerk. Either way, our officiant signs the license after the ceremony on the day of — that’s what makes it an executed document and legally binding.

You receive a customer copy of your license on the spot as instant proof of marriage, and your certified marriage certificate arrives from the LA County Clerk about 6 to 8 weeks later.

Need the certificate faster? Obtain your license first at the Ventura County Clerk in Thousand Oaks, then bring it in on your wedding day. After the ceremony, the signed license must be returned to Ventura — either by mail, which takes about a week, or in person, where they can print your certificate while you wait. This is the fastest way to get a certificate in California. Ask us how.

Being legally married opens up benefits many couples don’t realize they qualify for:

• ⁠Health insurance — you can add a spouse to an employer plan
• ⁠Social Security — survivor benefits and retirement benefits transfer to a spouse
• ⁠Military spousal benefits — housing, healthcare, and survivor benefits for military families
• ⁠Joint parenting — both parents have equal legal rights to their children
• ⁠Joint loans and mortgages — better rates and combined borrowing power
• ⁠Tax filing — married filing jointly, including the marriage bonus, which especially benefits couples where one spouse earns most of the income. The standard deduction doubles to thirty thousand dollars federally, plus about eleven thousand four hundred in California, for roughly four to four and a half thousand dollars in combined savings
• ⁠Inheritance — a spouse inherits automatically, without a will
• ⁠Immigration — the marriage certificate is required for the I-130 spousal petition, the form a US citizen files to bring a spouse to the US. For details, see the official USCIS page >
• ⁠Marital name change — change your name on your license, passport, and Social Security card
• ⁠Family leave — FMLA leave to care for a spouse
• ⁠Hospital visitation — the right to visit and make medical decisions for a spouse
• ⁠Retirement accounts — a non-working spouse can contribute up to seven thousand dollars a year to their own IRA, and your spouse is the automatic beneficiary of your 401(k), inheriting it tax-free outside probate

For specific legal or tax matters, check with an attorney or accountant. For immigration questions, consult an immigration attorney.

Both parties must appear together with valid, non-expired photo ID. Acceptable forms include:

• ⁠A valid, non-expired driver’s license — state-issued or government-issued
• ⁠A valid state-issued ID card
• ⁠A valid passport
• ⁠A U.S. Certificate of Naturalization
• ⁠A permanent resident card
• ⁠A valid matrícula consular

If either party has been divorced less than twenty-four months ago, you’ll need to bring a certified copy of the divorce decree. If the divorce was more than two years ago, we don’t need to see it — you just provide the date of the final dissolution.

Please note that all documents must be in English. If your divorce decree is from another country, it will need a certified translation, and the translation must be notarized. For a certified translation, you can try “The Spanish Group”  – but any certified translation service will work.

A confidential license is a closed record — only you and your spouse can access certified copies, no witnesses are required, and it’s filed in Norwalk. It’s the same license celebrities use when they want to keep things private. The big advantage: it can be issued by an authorized notary public outside county clerk office hours — including weekends — so you can marry the same day you decide.

A public license is an open record filed in Sacramento, requires one to two witnesses to sign at the ceremony, and anyone can request a copy. Only the County Clerk can issue a public license; we issue confidential licenses at our chapel. If you want a public license, obtain one before your wedding and the officiant will sign it after the ceremony.
Both licenses have the same legal value — they’re equally valid proof of marriage, and both produce the same marriage certificate.

Both licenses have the same legal value — they’re equally valid proof of marriage, and both produce the same marriage certificate.

No — you do not need to be a resident to be legally married in California. The Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk allows anyone over 18 with a valid, non-expired government ID — like a driver’s license or passport — to marry here. We follow the exact same procedures as the county clerk, and we’re open daily and on weekends, so you can skip the line.

If you want your marriage recognized in a foreign country, some countries accept a California marriage certificate on its own, but many require an apostille — a higher grade of certification from the Secretary of State. Check with the consulate of the country where you want it recognized. The government fee is $20, plus notary and shipping costs. We handle the entire process for you — from waiting for your certificate to forwarding it to your country — for a service fee of $165 dollars.

For more complicated questions, we recommend contacting an attorney who specializes in family law or immigration.

Your certified marriage certificate comes from the L.A. Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk and typically arrives about 6–8 weeks after your ceremony — that’s the average the county states on its website. Holidays and peak summer season can push it to 9-10 weeks, while some arrive in as little as 5.

The county does not send it automatically — you have to order it. You can pre-order it with us before or on your wedding day.
The county clerk fees are $85 for the confidential marriage license and $19 for the certificate. Our fees are $45 for notary stamps and signatures — that’s $15 per signature, state-regulated, with 3 signatures — and $28 for delivery, which saves you the hassle of taking time off work to go to the county clerk yourselves during weekday hours.
When you add it all up, the total is $175 if you add the marriage license set to your package.

Our mobile notary also issues you a customer copy of your license the same day — that temporary proof is sufficient for almost all legal needs until the certificate arrives in the mail. The one exception is certain military offices, which require the actual certificate in hand for benefits.

Once the certificate arrives, that’s your proof the marriage is recorded. If you ever need another copy, you can go in person to any L.A. County Clerk office with a valid photo ID — one of the two of you must be present. You can’t get a certificate until the original license is recorded and the first copy has been issued, so replacements are only available after that point.

If 10–12 weeks have passed and it hasn’t arrived, the issue is usually the mail. Call the county clerk at 800-201-8999 — we’re not allowed to contact them on your behalf, but we can walk you through the process and help you get it resolved. A replacement copy is $19, and sometimes they replace it free of charge if the license is recorded and the mail simply lost it.

If you’re reading this before your wedding and need your certificate as fast as possible, we suggest getting your marriage license at the Ventura County Clerk in Thousand Oaks. After the ceremony, the signed license must be returned to Ventura — by mail, where the certificate takes about a week to arrive, or in person, where they’ll give it to you while you wait. That’s the fastest way to get a certificate in California. Ask us how.

No — you don’t have to. The new-name section on the license just serves as a placeholder until you’re ready, and you can change it anytime in the future.
Once you’re ready, wait for your certified marriage certificate to arrive before signing your new name anywhere — banks, employers, leases, anything official. The certificate is your proof of the legal name change.

Then update your name with the agencies that matter:

• ⁠Social Security — notify the SSA first. Most other agencies verify your name against SSA records, so this step unlocks everything else. You can do it online at ssa.gov or at a local office.
• ⁠DMV — update your driver’s license or state ID with your state’s motor vehicle office.
• ⁠Passport — report the change to the State Department as soon as possible.
• ⁠IRS — your name on tax returns must match SSA records, so update Social Security before filing.
• ⁠Voter registration — update your registration with your county elections office so your ballot and ID match.

For a one-stop guide to all of it, start at america.gov — the official U.S. government website for name-change steps.

Yes we do.  Upon booking, let us know that you will want a Spanish speaking officiant for your wedding date. The ceremonies can be civil or spiritual. Our officiants are familiar with las arras (unity coins)  el lazo (wedding chord) and las velas de undid (unity candle).

Yes — a $150 photo pass covers outside photographers shooting in our chapel. That includes full ceremony coverage, portraits afterward, and up to two shooters — a photographer and an assistant, or a photographer and a videographer. The fee is charged once, and your shooters don’t count as guests since they’re working.

The fee is based on equipment, not whether the photographer is paid. If the lens comes off the camera, we consider it professional gear, and the pass applies. Phone cameras are always free.
This only applies to ceremony-only bookings. All our packages include photography, so the fee is waived if you order a package.

And actually, bringing your own shooter alongside ours is still a great value — they catch the naturalistic moments we’re too busy to grab, like an aunt crying during the ceremony. All the images on our website, Instagram and Tik Tok are of real weddings photographed by us at our chapel.

When to Arrive?

Here is the best approach,

EXAMPLE: Your wedding is booked with us at 12pm.

11:30AM – BRIDE ARRIVES. Your hair & make-up should be all set. You can change into your gown in our bridal changing room. Please bring a travel bag to place your robe or change of clothes/shoes inside once you change into your wedding dress. The Bride should be dropped off in front of our main door under the sign “Marry Me” for easy access into the bridal changing room. Her driver should then find parking.

11:45AM – GROOM & GUESTS ARRIVE: The groom should arrive already dressed. Tell your guests to arrive at this time as well. Let them know that the wedding starts sharply at 11:45AM. They will enter into our chapel doors under the sign “Albertson Wedding Chapel”. We will direct them into the correct entrance.  Elderly guests and ladies with high heels should be dropped off in front of our chapel and then driver can go find parking.

12:00PM – APPOINTMENT TIME: This is the time of your appointment. But it is not the actual start time.

12:15PM – ACTUAL START TIME: We start sharply at 12:15PM. Please do not share this start time with anyone. We would like your guests here at 11:45AM, but this way they have 30 minutes to settle in.

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Please use this format to calculate when to arrive and when to invite your guests. If your wedding is at 5pm for example it would be the same format. You arrive at 4:30pm, your guests and groom at 4:45pm, you booked for 5pm but the actual wedding starts sharply at 5:15pm.

Parking is convenient at Albertson Wedding Chapel near Wilshire and La Brea. There is free first-come, first-served parking in our plaza lot right at the chapel. It is not unlimited, so we suggest carpooling when you can, which also makes the drive to your reception easier if it is elsewhere.

If the lot fills up, there is a paid underground lot around the corner at 710 South La Brea Avenue — about $4 an hour with a $19 max, open 24 hours. We do not validate there, but BevMo and Lassen’s Market do, so a quick purchase can lower the price.

There is also metered parking up and down La Brea from Wilshire to Olympic — free on Sundays, metered on Saturdays, and free after 7 PM on weekdays.

We are one block from the new D Line metro station at Wilshire and La Brea, and Ubers are plentiful if you would rather not drive at all — especially smart if the reception is here and guests plan to drink and dance. A party van or limo is also a great option for out-of-town guests or larger groups.

Drivers can drop off guests right at our doors in the plaza’s pull-in area, then find a spot and come back — a nice touch for anyone in heels or elderly guests.

Feel free to copy the above and paste it to your guests.

We’re the only chapel in LA with several parking options: free, metered, a paid lot, and a metro station nearby. Other chapels have no parking or very expensive parking.

We do not. We are sorry but do to safety and insurance liability issues, we do not allow real or fake flower petals on the premises. The same goes for bubbles, confetti or rice. However, flower girls are welcomed to have a basket with flowers in them, or they can hold cute signs you can make or purchase online for the wedding march. Just nothing can be scattered on the floor.

Or we suggest streamers. They are much more fun, they add an excellent visual for your video or photos. The bridesmaids can hand them our before the ceremony or formally down the isle.  Here is an amazon link to view and buy them:

All payments are NON-REFUNDABLE.  Service credit only.

In order to marry at our chapel you must be personally sure you fulfill this criteria:

1. You must be certain you want to be married. ( It is a legally binding act )
2. You must be certain you would like to marry at our chapel. ( You will need to commit with a non-refundable deposit as all payments are non-refundable.

*You can push the wedding back up to 12* months from the wedding date you booked to use the full value of your money paid.
(IE if your wedding is booked for12/2/26 you will have up until 12/2/27 to use the full value of the money paid with us for another date.

Why no refunds?

Bonus Reading ( A blog on refunds from the owners in efforts of transparency and clarity )

Marriage is a deepest form of commitment and it is reflected in the marriage service industry. The couple is committing to each other and we are committing to the couple that we will be there to perform their wedding in an excellent manner and the couple is committing that they will show up on the day of. ( Sounds crazy – but yes it has happened and every wedding venue owner in the world knows that feeling of couples ghosting them. ) You will find that all reputable venues do not give refunds or even any service credit for that reason. In other venues, they would most likely even hold the couple responsible for the entire amount still owed beyond the deposit. There are even “event insurance” companies that sell wedding insurance policies for couples that might to cancel an event. Interested? Learn more from WedSure Inc >

At Albertson Wedding Chapel we feel we are the leaders in wedding venue date/time flexibility. We have been in business 52 years and we understand emergencies can come up including a global pandemic, people missing flights, loss of jobs, or anxiety of being in front of guests. That is why we allow easy rescheduling. You can book up to 12 months past the date you booked or even move the date sooner. A problem will arise if you say “We decided to marry in Hawaii, we want a refund.” Or we prefer booking an Air B & B. Or “I know we booked 6 months in advance but I think we are not ready for marriage. Or “we broke up so can I get a  refund?” Or “I thought we wanted to have just 42 guests but now we need 80 guests. I want a refund.” 

There are obviously situations where it is beneficial to couple AND to our chapel to NOT book a wedding just yet. Wait until you are sure. If you are not ready to commit to a date, our chapel or even to each other yet, then please don’t book/pay yet.  Only book when you are truly ready for the next level in your relationship. There are no “next day annulments” in California and we do not give refunds. 

Albertson Wedding Chapel does NOT sell alcohol nor we include alcohol in any of our reception packages.

However, YES, if you have booked a reception with us you may bring your own Champagne bottles and/or premium beers and wine selections for you guests IF you have purchased “host liquor liability insurance” prior to your event. This type of insurance costs $125 and must be purchased no later than 1 week prior to your event.  You may purchase the insurance via this link: https://www.wedsure.com/?ref=qBG6tWzV

Once purchased we will get an instant copy of the agreement for our files. The form is already pre-filled out with our info at check out.

Running late can be an issue as we will most likely have a wedding scheduled after yours. We recommend getting here 30 minutes prior to your wedding.

If you are running extremely late, your photo session might be shortened, or worst case scenario, your wedding start time will be held up until we have another opening in our schedule later that day.

Both of you will be at the chapel approximately 90 minutes if you have ordered a package with us that includes photography. The actual ceremony at the altar lasts about 25 minutes. However, with photography, signing the license, the wedding march etc, about an hour and a half is realistic. (IE: If your wedding is scheduled to start at 4pm, book your dinner reservations at a restaurant, or your reception location start time to be 5:45pm or 6pm depending on the distance.

If you did not a photography package and are just doing a ceremony with us, plan to be here approximately an hour.

Yes we stream music for your guests to listen to before the ceremony starts. If your package comes with a day of chapel coordinator, we can play 1 specific song for your entrance. The song should be at least 3 minutes in length.  The song will play for the entrance of the entourage and for the bride. We find that 1 song works best for continuity. The song you can select must be able to be streamed from “apple music” or “spotify”. We do not have the ability to play a song from “youtube”.

If you are having a VIP reception, bringing your own device with your own music to help tell your love story is highly recommended. Please provide 3-4 hours of music. We suggest hiring a DJ and letting him or her know to arrive 1 hour before your ceremony start time.

Yes and any tips should be in given in cash directly to the minister, coordinator and/or your photographer. That would be a wonderful way to show your appreciation to those that help you on the day of 🙂

Yes.  Please do so as soon as you receive your link from us for safe keeping. We do not guarantee safe back ups of your files as the original files get uploaded to cloud services like smug mug.com, vimeo.com, and youtube.com.  Hard drives may crash, cloud services like the ones listed could be hacked. All digital media is subject to potential loss. Please download your images and videos upon receipt. To receive your images and or video from us it takes approximately 3-5 weeks.

Yes you can. If you know someone dear to you that would love to officially marry you, by all means bring him or her in.  As long as the ceremony is 25-30 minutes max (actual ceremony time at the “alter”) then having your friend, family member or your own pastor is a great idea to personalize your wedding. The person must be ordained in order to marry you.

We do offer package deals that are discounted further than if you bought the services a la carte. Here is our package deals page:

We do offer -5% off* if you are an active military personal ( with military I.D.) an active L.A.P.D. officer or in the L.A.F.D. * We also offer a -5% off* for “Renewal of Vows” ceremonies if you are currently married and wish to re-commit to your spouse. Cash payments save -5%.

*ALL offers/discounts cannot be combined.

Ha. There is no catch! We are the best because our owners are fashion designers and true romantics. We are the best because this has been a family owned establishment for 50 years and counting. We are the best because our venue is in an excellent trendy neighborhood. We obsessively maintain our chapel so it is always pristine for you and we try every day to improve the quality of our services.  We believe everyone deserves a dignified, respectful, sincere wedding without paying an arm and a leg. We are the best because we put all our prices online, unlike most every place else you find. We are also proud to show you real video and photo samples of couples that have been married here. We are the best because we have always fought for love in Los Angeles. We believe that no matter where you were born, your background, your orientation, your religion, if you believe in love… then Albertson Wedding Chapel is for you.

We believe we are the best wedding chapel in the U.S. However, the ultimate truth is we are only as great as the couples that get married here. Your love makes us great!