New Jersey, Bride Index - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains the New Jersey Bride Index, 1930-1938 acquired by Reclaim the Records and donated to FamilySearch for publishing of images. Digital images of the originals are held by Reclaim the Records in Mill Valley, California.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The New Jersey Bride Index includes:
 * The surname of the bride prior to marriage
 * The first name and surname of the husband-to-be
 * The year of marriage

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the bride
 * The approximate year of marriage
 * The name of the intended spouse

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the age to calculate a birth date and to find other records such as birth, christening, death, and census records
 * Use the information to find additional family members. Witnesses or bondsmen listed on the marriage were usually relatives
 * Search the county where the marriage took place for other records on the family

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Collect entries for every person who has the same surname This list can help you identify possible relations that can be verified by records
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of New Jersey.
 * New Jersey Guided Research
 * New Jersey Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * New Jersey, marriage indexes, 1901-1938
 * Marriage records, 1711-1878
 * New Jersey index to records of births, marriages, and deaths, 1848-1900

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * New Jersey Historical Records Survey, Division of Community Service Programs, Work Projects Administration. Guide to vital statistics records in New Jersey.. 2 volumes. Newark, New Jersey : Historical Records Survey (New Jersey), 1941

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.