Ed's Note: The information in this article is out of date. We've since published an updated article on how to get married in China, but we're keeping this one up for its historical, or even archeological, value.
So, I just got married in China. It's actually a very simple process, but I went through a few preparatory months of hair-pulling, stressing about the various legal angles involved. To save you, dear mixed-nationality lovebirds out there in radioland, from tripping on these stress points, I've nailed together a quick little guide on how to tie the knot in the PRC.
Disclaimer: The scope of this guide is pretty specifically limited to a U.S. citizen marrying a Chinese national. The bureau at which you'll need to file your license also depends on your spouse's hukou: unless s/he's from one of the four administratively autonomous municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Chongqing), you'll be filing in the capital of your spouse's hukou-registered province. (E.g. My wife's hukou is from Suzhou, so we filed in the Jiangsu provincial capital, Nanjing.)
The bureaucratic particulars shouldn't vary too much from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but be sure you've checked in with the relevant organs before taking the plunge.