Wisconsin, Marriage Index - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of an index to marriages from the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services in Madison for the years 1973 to 1997. The index is provided by Ancestry.com.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:
 * Name of bride and groom
 * Marriage date and place
 * Name of spouse (May only list surname)
 * Age and birth year of bride and groom
 * Certificate number
 * Film number

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The name of the spouse or the date of the event

Search the Index
Search by name by visiting the Collection Page.
 * 1) Fill in the search boxes on the Collection Page with the information you have
 * 2) Click Search to show possible matches

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?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the age to calculate an approximate birth date and to find a birth and death record
 * Use the information to find civil and church records
 * Use the information to find additional family members in censuses
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family

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

 * Try viewing the original record. Indexes and transcriptions may not include all the data found in the original records. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name
 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, 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 in an area search
 * Try variant spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names

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

Related Digital Books

 * Wisconsin Historical Records Survey, Division of Community Service Programs, Work Projects Administration. Guide to public vital statistics records in Wisconsin. Madison, Wis. : Wisconsin Historical Records Survey, 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.