United States, GenealogyBank Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States

What is in the Collection?
This collection consists of an index of marriage notices found in thousands of newspapers, for the years 1815-2011, throughout the United States. Records are being published as they become available. This collection is created in partnership with www.GenealogyBank.com.

Collection Content
Marriage records found in newspapers may contain the following information:
 * Names of the bride and groom
 * Date of marriage
 * Place of marriage
 * Parents' names
 * Name of person who performed the marriage
 * Names of people in the bridal party
 * Description of the wedding details

How Do I Search the Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know:
 * Your ancestor’s name
 * The year of marriage
 * Other identifying information such as residence, birthdate or age, names of other family members and family relationships.

Search the Collection
To search the collection by name: Fill in the requested information in the boxes on the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the individuals in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to look at the information on several individuals comparing the information about them to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names, or variations of their name, throughout their life.
 * If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names.
 * Even though these indexes are very accurate they may still contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

To browse the collection by image: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the appropriate "State" ⇒Select the appropriate "Newspaper" ⇒Select the appropriate "Year" which takes you to the images

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

Look at each newspaper image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * The date of event may not appear in the newspaper on the same day, so check newspapers on and around the date of the marriage.
 * If one newspaper does not include the marriage record, check other newspapers in the area.
 * Be sure to search for variants on the surname.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s marriage record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors. The following examples show ways you can use the information:
 * Use the marriage year to locate the actual marriage record or certificate.
 * Use the information provided in the newspaper article to identify other relatives.
 * Use the locality of the marriage to locate additional records such as church, land, and other vital records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor.
 * Continue to search the newspaper index and records to identify other relatives.
 * If your ancestor used multiple names throughout their life, look for all their names.
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.
 * Search the newspaper of nearby localities.
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You can then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor.

General Information about These Records

 * Newspapers are generally easy to read due to the typescript
 * Preservation of newspapers is ongoing through various agencies
 * Information on weddings or marriages is oftentimes sent to the newspaper by the individuals being married and tends to be reliable

Related Websites
GenealogyBank

Related Wiki Articles

 * United States Marriage Records
 * United States Vital Records

Citing this Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection citation:

Record citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image citation: