National Marriage Day

History of National Marriage Day

Have you known about Elkton? It is a town located in Cecil County in the northeast corner of Maryland, which has been known as the Wedding Capital of the East. In 1913, Delaware enacted time-out laws similar to those in other states along the Atlantic coast. Many people started traveling to Maryland to get married, and especially to Elkton because it was the county seat closest to people traveling to the state from the north. Not only does Maryland have no waiting time requirements, but there are also no residency, blood, or witness requirements.

Wedding chapels began to spring up everywhere along Main Street, and at one point there were more than fifteen of them. During the town's wedding golden age, which lasted a quarter of a century, about 12,000 people were married there each year. This was the time when the town had a population of about 3,000. The train that takes people to town is called the Honeymoon Express, and guests will take a taxi from the train station to the courthouse or chapel. Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Billie Holiday and Joan Fontaine were all married there. In recent years, Charles Barkley has been married in Elkton.

But by the end of 1938, Elkton's wedding glory years were over, after the state approved a 48-hour waiting period for marriage. Exacerbating the decline is the emergence of Las Vegas as a wedding city, as well as a new transportation pattern that makes people less likely to end up in Elkton. In October 1938, there were 2,344 wedding ceremonies in the town; in December, only 277.

Today, all the original chapels are gone. Closed in 2017, the Little Wedding Chapel was the last to operate which is designated as the Wedding Capital of the East. For decades, the Elkton Chamber of Commerce and Union has celebrated National Marriage Day on the second Friday in June. The day is dedicated to the wedding and the renewal of vows. There are usually five to fifteen couples participating during the day. Sometimes spouses who were married in Elkton many years earlier would return to renew their vows. Wedding cakes, champagne and appetizers were served, and a carriage was on hand for couples to travel around town. In recent years, this date has become less important, and in 2015 no couples ever got married. However, National Marriage Day can be celebrated by anyone, whether they're married and renewed, or whether they're traveling to Elkton or staying in their own city.

How to celebrate National Marriage Day

The best way to spend the day might be to get married or renew your vows in Elkton. Since all chapels are closed, you may have to have your wedding in the church or at the Cecil County Courthouse. You can also stop at the marker that designates the town as the Wedding Capital of the East. If you can't make a trip to Elkton, you can get married or renew your vows at a more convenient location. At least, if you're married, you can spend the day with your spouse. If you don't have anyone to share your vows with today, perhaps you could attend someone else's wedding, research how to be a wedding planner, or watch a wedding movie.