Restoration Of 'Bride' And 'Groom' In California Marriage License Forms To Begin In November
All Headline News
October 7, 2008

San Francisco, CA (AHN) - The California Department of Public Health officials announced it is restoring the words "bride" and "groom" on all marriage license forms issued in California starting Nov. 17.

The move was in response to the clamor of many couple who still prefer the traditional terms instead of the gender-neutral "Party A" and "Party B," introduced when the same-sex marriage was legalized on June 16 to replace the "bride" and "groom" words.

The decision also came as California voters has an initiative on the November ballot over Proposition 8, that could overturn the legality of the same-sex marriage in the state.

The latest paperwork, will begin on Nov. 17, wherein all marriage license application forms will have blank spaces for the applicants' names and personal information next to the words "First Person Data" and "Second Person Data" and optional boxes for checking "bride" or "groom."

Couples have the option to check the "bride" and "groom" box in both sections to indicate marriage between two men or two women.

According to the Williams Institute for Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy, a think tank based at the University of California in Los Angeles, an estimated 11,000 same-sex couples have exchanged vows since the law was enacted.