Getting married in Russia

[visaveteran1 33]

I am exploring getting married in Russia. I think I generally understand the process:

-Prepare a Marriage Letter at the US Embassy in Moscow

- Get the letter authenticated at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (I hear it takes 5 days to turn arround)

-Get info page of passport translated into Russian

-Present documents to the Civil Registry Office (ZAGS) and wait 32 days to get married. Question: Must we go to the ZAGS office in my fiancee's home city?

I would like to know what documents the ZAGS office requires from me. I assume a birth certificate and divorce papers. I understand these documents must be "apostilled" copies. It is this apostilled copies process that looks like a big pain in the neck because it requires having the state that issued the documents (birth cetifcatem divore papers, etc) apostillize (stamp) them.

Has anyone gone through this process of getting married in Russia? Do I need a birth certificate or is my passport good enough? What's involved with getting documents apostilled? How long does it take to get apostilled copies of documents once they are requested?

Also, I have heard you apply for a waiver of the 32 day waiting period. Is this true?

Any info of the process of getting married in Russia would be appreciated.

THANKS!!