How to Plan a Courthouse Wedding On a Budget
Bride and groom, posing at the courthouse.
If you’re looking for a simple and inexpensive celebration, it’s easy to plan a courthouse wedding on a budget. You can have a ceremony at your local city hall, then plan any type of reception afterwards.
How to Get Married at the Courthouse
You’ll need to check your local city hall for current requirements, but in general, you’ll just need to choose a date, then make some appointments. You’ll need to bring your ID to get a marriage license, then make an appointment for your actual wedding ceremony.
Please note: this article contains affiliate links. That means that I may earn a commission if you decide to buy something.
Courthouse Wedding Checklist
Although a courthouse wedding is a lot simpler than a traditional wedding, there’s still a few moving parts you’ll need to get in order. If you’re not sure where to start, here’s an easy checklist:
Plan Your Courthouse Wedding Ceremony
Choose your wedding date.
Check the application process at your local city hall.
How many guests can you invite?
Gather your documents.
Apply for your marriage license.
Plan your wedding ceremony.
Book your photographer.
Plan Your Reception or Afterparty
Decide on the budget.
Write your guest list.
Decide on a venue.
Plan your wedding menu.
Book your wedding vendors.
Buy your wedding items.
Send the invitations.
Plan Your Courthouse Wedding Ceremony
The most important part of planning your wedding ceremony is getting your paperwork in order. Start by choosing a date, then check with your local city hall for the current rules.
Choose Your Wedding Date
Before you make the final decision on your wedding date, check with your local courthouse to make sure you can get an appointment for the date you like. If you’re planning at a popular spot, quick appointments might not be available.
Check the Application Process for Your Local City Hall
Depending on where you’re getting married, the application process can vary. First, find out where and how to apply for your marriage license. In some towns, you can arrive at city hall and apply the same day.
Others will ask you to fill out an application online. For other cities, you’ll need to make an appointment and pay for your license ahead of time.
Remember to also check:
Can you make an appointment for your ceremony time, or will it be first come, first served?
Do they perform wedding ceremonies on weekends, or only on weekdays?
Are there available appointments on the date you’re looking for?
Do you need to bring witnesses?
Is a photographer allowed at the ceremony?
How Many Guests Can You Invite?
While you’re checking on your license, find out how many guests are allowed at the ceremony. Depending on the size of the ceremony venue, you may be allowed as many as 10 or 15 people. But if it’s a smaller space, you might only be able to invite your 2 witnesses to the ceremony.
Gather Your Documents
Double check and make sure you have everything. Most cities will require you to bring:
State issued ID or driver’s license.
Certified copies of your birth certificates.
Social security numbers.
Divorce papers (if applicable).
Apply For Your Marriage License
Next, you can figure out when you should apply for your marriage license. Most cities have a waiting period, so you’ll need to apply a few days ahead of time. Once you’ve got your license, it’ll only be valid for a certain amount of time - usually 30 to 90 days. Check your local regulations and decide when you’ll apply for your marriage license.
Plan Your Wedding Ceremony
Once you have your marriage license, book the date for your ceremony. Choose your witnesses or bridal party. If you’re allowed guests, decide who you’ll invite.
Book Your Photographer
Decide if you’ll hire a professional photographer for your ceremony. If you’re not allowed a photographer at the ceremony itself, you could still plan a photo session as a way to remember the day.
You can take some photos at city hall or at a nearby park. Since you won’t need the photographer for the entire day, you’ll be able to book a shorter and less expensive package.
Bride and groom, posing for pictures after their wedding ceremony.
Plan Your Reception or Afterparty
After your ceremony, you can plan an intimate lunch for the two of you. Or you can invite family and friends to celebrate with you. If you’d like an evening wedding, you can plan a bigger reception or afterparty that night, or the following weekend.
Decide On the Budget
If you’re planning a traditional wedding reception, you’ll need a bigger budget. For a full reception, you’ll need to pay for food and drinks, plus all those extras like rentals, decorations and wedding vendors.
If you’re planning a less traditional party, you can have a great reception on any size budget. Decide how much you want to spend and use that as your starting point when you’re looking at venues.
Write Your Guest List
Decide who you’d like to invite to your wedding reception. To keep it easy and inexpensive, most couples only invite their closest family and a few friends. Having a small guest list is a great way to keep your costs down.
If you do want to invite a lot of people, but have a small budget, you can plan a non traditional reception. The cheapest way to have a lot of guests is by planning a cake and punch wedding. Or you could plan a brunch or lunch wedding. If you want to have an evening reception, you could plan a cocktail party wedding in order to stay on budget.
Decide On a Venue
Once you’ve decided on your guests and your budget, look for a venue that’s the right size and price. If you’re planning on a big guest list, look into traditional wedding venues and caterers. If you’ve got a smaller guest list, you could plan at a less traditional spot:
Restaurant
Nightclub
Brewery or pub
Winery
Community center
Local park
Private home
Community room at a condo
Plan Your Wedding Menu
If you’ve booked a restaurant or pub for your reception, they’ll usually offer a set menu for you to choose from. If you’re planning at a private home, community center or park, you can decide if you’ll hire a caterer or DIY your wedding food.
Book Your Wedding Vendors
For a smaller reception, you won’t need many wedding vendors. Depending on your budget and your venue, you might want to hire:
Hair and makeup artist
Baker for a wedding cake
Florist for bouquets, boutonniere or decor
Buy Your Wedding Items
Wedding rings
Wedding outfits, dresses or suits
Veil, shoes and accessories
Bouquet and boutonniere
Wedding invitations
Send the Invitations
Traditionally, wedding invitations are sent six to eight weeks ahead of time. If you’ve got less time, don’t worry - just send them as soon as you can. As long as your wedding isn’t formal, you can invite people any way you’d like.
You can handwrite invitations, send an electronic invite or even ask people in person. If you want printed invitations, you’ll need a few weeks to order them. If you’ve got time, look for some cheap wedding invitations as a way to stay on budget.
Bride and groom at their restaurant wedding reception.
How Much Does a Courthouse Wedding Cost?
The cost of a courthouse wedding varies, depending on where you live, but it’s pretty cheap in most places. In most states, you’ll pay $20 to $80 for the marriage license. Then you’ll pay an additional fee for the wedding itself. The ceremony is usually $10 and up. All together, you can get married at the courthouse for less than $100 in most states.
To keep costs low, you can celebrate with an intimate and romantic lunch for two, after the ceremony. It’s perfectly fine to have a wedding just for the two of you.
If you’d rather have guests at your reception, lunch or dinner at a restaurant is ideal. If you want to invite more guests, you can plan an afterparty at home, a community center or even a traditional wedding venue.
$5,000 Sample Budget With a Restaurant Reception
If you’ve got a smaller budget, having a courthouse ceremony and small reception is a great way to save a lot of money. Planning a restaurant wedding is the perfect way to stay on budget. If your guests are available during the day, you can plan a lunch reception. If not, you can plan a dinner reception in the evening.
Wedding Ceremony:
Courthouse wedding $50
Wedding rings $250
Subtotal = 300
Food & Drinks:
Meals (20 people x $80) $1,600
Drinks (20 people x $30) $600
Wedding Cake $150
Subtotal = $2,350
Everything Else:
Wedding Photographer $1,200
Wedding Invitations $75
Wedding Clothes $1,000
Bouquet & Boutonnière $75
Subtotal = $2,350
Grand Total = $5,000
Wedding Planning Book
Want to read more about planning a non traditional wedding? Get the book Affordable Wedding Venues and Menus to find out how to choose the best venue, and plan a wedding meal on any budget. Available as ebook or paperback:
