Wed Alert: Colorado Is One of the Easiest Places to Get Hitched

Forget about save-the-date cards and elaborate weddings. In Colorado, couples can practically tie the knot just by saying they're married out loud.

Colorado has some of the most lenient marriage laws in the country. There are no waiting periods, and this is one of few states that allow couples to self-solemnize, meaning they can marry themselves without anybody overseeing the process. Nearly anyone can get hitched in the state: sixteen-year-olds with court approval, military members serving out-of-state who aren't present for the wedding — even first cousins can get married in Colorado. But not siblings. We do have some standards.

No officiant or witnesses are needed to marry in Colorado. The process is as simple as signing a $30 marriage license and dropping it off at any county clerk's office. (While witnesses are not required, Colorado does let dogs sign official marriage licenses as witnesses, with a paw print in ink serving as a signature. In fact, any pet can technically do the honors, as long as the couple can manage to get a print of the paw, fin, hoof or claw.)

Couples can also become married without getting a license at all. Colorado is one of only eight states that still recognize common-law marriages. If two adults mutually agree to be married, they are considered legally married, with all the rights and responsibilities a marriage entails. That's all it takes. And unlike some other states, Colorado has no time requirement for how long couples must be together before a common-law marriage takes effect.

Any Coloradans who want to take the plunge without the hassle of signing a marriage license can simply start calling their partner their "spouse." But they might want to move in together, openly refer to themselves as married and start jointly filing taxes to make sure that the marriage holds up in court.

And for those who prefer the paperwork path, there's the Denver Marriage Marathon.
Since 2008, Denver has held an annual Marriage Marathon on Valentine's Day, when dozens of couples come together for back-to-back marriage ceremonies on the steps of the City and County Building. Denver Clerk and Recorder Paul López says he's seen 146 couples tie the knot during these marathons since he was elected in 2019.

"It makes you believe in love when you see it," López says. "For somebody who was jaded about that in the past, it keeps that flame in your heart going. It keeps it alive."

The marathon features special officiants to marry the couples. This year, the ceremonies will be performed by Denver City Council members Jamie Torres and Shontel Lewis, retired news anchor Anne Trujillo and López himself — dressed as Elvis Presley for this year's "Burnin' Love" theme. Keeping up the heat, the Horseshoe Casino will raffle off an overnight Black Hawk honeymoon for two of the newlywed couples.

While much of López's responsibility as county clerk revolves around administering elections and preserving records, he says some of his most memorable moments on the job involve his marriage duties, whether he's officiating or just signing the certificate.

Inside and outside of the marriage marathon, López has helped wed friends, employees and constituents. These include a janitor he worked with as a union organizer, a friend's daughter he watched grow up, and a former high school classmate who was bullied for being gay and specifically requested that López sign the marriage license for him and his husband. "That was powerful for me," López recalls.

The brides and grooms — or grooms and grooms — have come wearing Indigenous turquoise jewelry, matching Jordan sneakers, vintage 1920s flapper dresses and traditional black-tie attire complete with plastic roses to hold during the ceremony. Some couples come alone and others bring an entourage of friends and family to cheer them on.

The marriages are often romantic occasions, but López has also seen couples in which one person is sick and needs to marry in order to access a partner's health insurance or have the partner make legal medical decisions. And he's seen others who opt for the paperwork-only route because their families do not support their relationships.

"The impact is profound," López says. "I try to make it precious for them. I'm proud to be elected to be able to do this. These are major life decisions, being able to marry who you love. ... We don't take this stuff lightly."

Several Denver judges shared stories with Westword about the marriages they've conducted, with some people coming from as far as North Africa, France, Mexico and New York City to say "I do" in the Mile High City. One bus driver and his future wife spontaneously walked into the courthouse to get married, while another couple meticulously planned an intergalactic Star Wars-themed wedding on May 4, otherwise known as Star Wars Day. (May the Fourth be with you.)

Dozens of new couples will add to the city's extensive history of matrimony during the marriage marathon on Wednesday, February 14.

Thirty appointment slots were made available for the marathon, but walk-ins are welcome. "We will have clerks on standby, we can definitely accommodate more," says Mikayla Ortega, spokesperson for the clerk's office. Couples are encouraged to go online to start their license registration in advance.

Regardless of how many people get hitched on Valentine's Day, López says he strives to make the day special for each and every one.

"They're always memorable to me," López says. "It never gets old."