Getting Married on Valentine's Day in the East Bay

If you're getting married on Valentine's Day, you're going to have plenty of company.

So you might want to make plans now.

Valentine's Day is a popular day to get hitched. It's also one of the five most popular days for marriage proposals, according to families.com.

It's probably been that way since 496 when Pope Gelasius I declared Feb. 14 as Valentine Day.

If you're getting married Feb. 14, click the "Upload" button to share a photo. Include your names and hometowns, and tell us your story in the caption.

In the East Bay, the county clerk offices are gearing up.

Contra Costa County

Contra Costa County Clerk Steve Weir said this is a busy time of the year for his office to approve marriage licenses.

The Martinez office will also be performing civic marriage ceremonies Feb. 14. Weir said the office has 44 time slots available between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. As of Monday, nine reservations had been made and he expects the other slots to be filled quickly.

"Walk-ins are accepted, but for such a busy day, an appointment is highly recommended," said Weir.

Find out how to sign up for a Valentine's Day wedding by calling the Contra Costa Clerk's office at 925-335-7900.

The clerk's office will have two ceremony rooms with two officiants overseeing weddings every 15 minutes.

You can pick up a marriage license beforehand or on Feb. 14, although if you come on Valentine's Day, you should do so two hours before your ceremony to allow for paperwork to get done.

Alameda County

The Alameda County Clerk's office will start accepting appointments Feb. 6 for its Valentine's Day weddings.

The Oakland office will perform ceremonies every half-hour that day. You can pick up a marriage license beforehand or on Feb. 14.

Once you get a license, you need to be officially married within 90 days or the license is not valid.

Find out how to sign up for Valentine's Day weddings in Alameda County by calling the County Clerk's office at 510-272-6362.

Under California law, you don't have to live in a county to obtain a marriage license there.

There are other official procedures for marriage licenses and wedding ceremonies. You can get more information on the websites of the Contra Costa County Clerk and Alameda County Clerk's.

Know anyone who is getting married on this day? Let us know, so we can pass out the congratulations.