You can find official birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates in state, city or county records offices. Follow these directions when writing for a copy.
Instructions
• STEP 1: Find out the address of your state or local vital-records office by referring to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Web site at www.cdc.gov/nchs, or call the NCHS at (301) 458-4636. The NCHS will also tell you the fee for the record you're requesting in your state.
• STEP 2: Include the following when requesting a birth or death record: full name of the person whose record you are requesting; sex; parents' names, including mother's maiden name; place of birth or death and name of hospital (city, county and state); reason for requesting the certificate; and your relationship to the person whose record you are requesting, even if it is your own.
• STEP 3: Provide the following information when asking for a marriage record: full name of bride and groom; month, day and year of marriage; place of marriage (city, county and state); reason for requesting the certificate; and your relationship to the people whose record you are requesting.
• STEP 4: Give the following when requesting a divorce record: full names of bride and groom; date of divorce or annulment; place of divorce or annulment (city, county and state); type of final decree; your reason for requesting the certificate; and your relationship to the people whose divorce record you are requesting.
• STEP 5: Write a check or money order payable to the office that holds your certificate, making sure it is the correct amount for the number of copies you are requesting.
Tips & Warnings
• The federal government does not hold files on official certificates of birth, death, marriage or divorce.


http://www.ehow.com/how_6649_find-vital-records.html

Insofar as birth certificates...I have never been able to obtain one for anyone who wasn't myself, my children or my parents.
For death certificate and marriage licenses.....if you can get to the courthouse yourself....be sure you let them know you only want it for genealogy purposes....not legal documentation. Otherwise you are probably going to wind up paying $10 and up for a certified copy. Most of the places I have been will let you make a zerox copy for the cost of said copy--usually about 25 cents.
If you cannot get there to do it yourself....if you check the genweb sites for the counties...or sign up for the mailing lists and ask nicely...there may be someone in the county who will pick one or two up for you for the cost of the copy and the postage. Its' usually a good idea to send..a tad bit extra for that person's kindness.
I do it here in Pike Co for people all the time. and I had asked if they would round up to $1 I would take the extra money copy a page of the index and post it online. Most folks did exactly that...some sent way more than $1 just out of kindness. I only had one person tape the quarter for the copy and another quarter and a dime to an index card to pay for their copy.
Do be considerate tho...I had one woman send me two pages of marriages... no dates and no brides names I had to look up individually. It took all morning to find her folks and copy. Try not to ask for more than two or three. Or if you must send 2 pages...ask first and then be sure to compensate that person for their time.
Thanks for letting me butt in Gerrie.

Steph

Gerrie, Just trying to figure out if my email to you posted or if you even received it.

Yep sorry I just now opened it, I have been in the hospital for the last few days and I have been sneaking on here whenever the nurses would let me have my laptop. I am working on adding all the Bresee info I have ( which is a lot by the way) if you would like to pm me and give me your regular email addy I can email all I have sometime next week. ( I am slow on the take sometimes I have a hubby and 3 teenage boys plus I work 4 jobs so I am real slow and forgetful lol)

I can help you with this tidbit right now though, there is a common thought that All Bresee's came into America via Canada and are direct descendants of Christopher Bresee and Christina Claessen, we have been trying to connect back to them for some while now.

We are of the William Bresee line b 1795 in New York and he married Polly Stark b 1792 New York

Thanks for the info!