Contact: Mark Church, Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
Alternate: Jim Irizarry, Assistant Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder

(Redwood City, CA) The San Mateo County Clerk's Office is announcing special office hours for couples wishing to get married on Valentine's Day, which this year falls on Sunday, February 14, 2016. The San Mateo County Clerk's Office will open its doors at 9 am and close at 2 pm on Valentine's Day.

"Valentine's Day is the most popular wedding day of the year," reports Mark Church, San Mateo County's elected Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder and Chief Elections Officer. "It is a very special day and we will be extending our office hours to accommodate the increased demand for wedding ceremonies," stated Church.

Chapel reservations are highly recommended to secure a spot on the busiest wedding day of the year. Couples are urged to make their reservations without delay. The County's chapel, located on the first floor of 555 County Center in Redwood City, can be reserved for a 25 minute ceremony. The cost is $65. On Valentine's Day, a long-stemmed red rose and a free DVD of the ceremony will be provided.

For an additional $50, San Mateo County's chapel provides a special electronic invitation to guests and an internet broadcast service so the wedding ceremony can be viewed by family and friends anywhere in the world.

Wedding ceremonies are usually performed by volunteer wedding commissioners duly authorized by the County Clerk. Couples can make prior arrangements with the County Clerk for the ceremony to be performed by a person of their choice—a friend, family member, or colleague— who must be deputized by the County Clerk.

Couples are also reminded that weddings cannot be performed without a marriage license. The license application may be completed in the office or online and couples must appear in person in front of the County Clerk to provide proof of identification. The license costs $79, plus $15 for a certified copy. For important details regarding marriage licenses, please go to http://smcare.org/clerk/marriage/obtain_license.asp.

To contact the County Clerk, please call 650.363.4500 option 2, or visit the website: www.smcare.org/clerk/marriage/default.asp.

The press release is displayed in its original format. San Mateo County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Elections website now resides at www.smcacre.org