Tennessee Marriage Records

Marriage records or marriage licenses are the legal record of a wedding and its subsequent union. A marriage record contain the original unmarried names of both parties, their place of residence, the date, and also the county and state the marriage occurred in. This is why often marriage records are vital to almost all researchers as they not only provide information but also help unlock the path to other searches with information that is crucial and not easily obtainable Most notably, the brides maiden name. While marriage records have been kept in Tennessee for centuries, this office only maintains records from the last 50 years. Older records are moved to the Tennessee Library and Archives. While statewide indexes don't begin until 1949, the archives have Tennessee marriage records from across the state beginning in 1861, and some records even date back as far as 1780. If you need to find out more about your family history or genealogy, marriage records are sometimes the most easily accessible and most reliable way to trace your ancestry through multiple generations. For quick, often free marriage records you can search online will reveal many records of possible value to your quest. Using the maiden name and possible background information about the bride's family is often essential to expanding your family tree.