How to make a Courthouse Wedding Special

According to Google, there was a significant rise in courthouse weddings in 2020-2021 due to all the recent health outbreaks.

Although my husband and I got married in 2019 before all the craziness started, I’ve actually gotten a lot of questions about our Courthouse wedding. I figured I would answer all of those questions on how to plan a courthouse wedding and make it special. I’ll also be sharing my experience as well now that I’ve gone through it.

What is a “Courthouse Wedding”?

Also known as a civil ceremony, a courthouse wedding is a nonreligious, legal marriage ceremony presided over by a government official. 

These ceremonies are legal binding and done within a courthouse. 

Why should I choose a Courthouse wedding?

Having a courthouse wedding is totally optional and a couple may want to do so for a variety of reasons. Remember it is between you and your partner.

Everyone in your life may not agree with your choice to have a courthouse wedding so please be prepared for any negative comments. Thankfully, we didn’t have to experience that but just know that it may be a reality for some. 

Either way, don’t let that deter you from moving forward with your plans. 

How much does a courthouse wedding cost?

The cost can vary. For a standard marriage license it cost about $78 dollars in Texas. That’s really the only expense you have to have. Everything else is optional. 

We spent about $1,100 for our courthouse wedding in total but every penny spent was worth it!

How to plan a courthouse wedding and make it feel special

1. Research marriage license requirements for your state

Every state has their requirements but the most common documents you’ll need are

• Drivers license
• Birth certificate
• Social Security Card

2. Apply for the marriage license

Before you can plan your courthouse wedding, you must apply for a marriage license. Both parties must be present in order to submit their documents and sign the form. 

You must apply for your marriage license at the county clerk’s office in the county that you plan to get married in.

You and your partner will need to be present to apply for the marriage license. Once it’s paid for, you have a 72 hour waiting period before you can get married. This excludes those that are in the military.

That is just a waiting period. You have to get married in that time frame. You actually have 90 days from the day the marriage license was purchased to get married so keep that in mind.

3. Choose your wedding date

This can be tricky for some couples because most courthouses only allow ceremonies Monday-Friday from 8am-5pm. So if you have a special date that doesn’t fall on those weekdays, you may have to pick an alternative date. 

You and your partner may also need to take off work to attend the ceremony. If you’re lucky, you may be able to get a time that falls somewhere between lunch time and use an extended lunch time to do it if you need to get back to work right after but you may feel quite rushed. 

4. Pick an outfit  that you love

I can’t emphasize this one enough. Court weddings are a low cost alternative but I highly recommend wearing something that you are excited about.

I wore a Calvin Klein white dress I bought from Macy’s.  At first I ordered some basic white dresses from Amazon, but none of them were giving me the look that I wanted. I didn’t want anything extremely fancy but I did want it to look semi formal.

I’m so glad I went with the dress I did, because it fit perfectly and gave me that “small wedding feel” without breaking the bank. 

5. Get your hair and makeup done

I chose to get my makeup done professionally but you can totally do it yourself to save money. I wanted my makeup to look bomb so I needed to hire a  makeup artist. Maybe you have a friend that’s really good at makeup that wouldn’t mind doing yours for that day for a low price or even as a gift. 

I’m so glad I did because it really brought the whole look together and made me feel like I was getting “bridal” make up done. 

6. Invite close friends and family

Some courthouses have limits on how many people can attend the ceremony so make sure you abide by those rules, but I would definitely recommend having your loved ones present.

You can even take it a step further and have everyone dress in a certain color. Almost like them being your “bridal party”. Remember it’s totally up to you how you want it to be and there are no rules.

We had all of our immediate family present and our 2 friends and it definitely made the day much more special. 

7. Send out wedding invitations

No, it doesn’t need to be formal paper invitations but I would recommend using an online invite creator such as evite to create one. We actually created the invite in Canva and then sent them out personally. 

Canva makes it super easy to make invitations and they come out looking pretty nice. 

Again this is not a must, but it will help to keep track of your guest list so you can can plan your courthouse wedding more effectively.

8. Hire a photographer

My husband suggsested we get a photographer and I’m so glad he did. I’m so thankful that we got great quality photos to remember the day. I still look back at them and smile. I actually printed them all out and have them all in an album :).

If this isn’t an option due to finances, have a family member or friend as a designated picture taker. Now don’t make them get all kinds of crazy angles and shots, but at least they’ll be mindful to take good clear pictures so you and your spouse can have and look back on.

9. Include a bouquet

I didn’t have a bouquet and it’s not exactly “necessary” but having one would definitely make the day more memorable and add a nice touch to your dress, if you decide to wear one. Sometimes, having those little traditional elements help your courthouse wedding feel more special.

10. Pick a memorable place to celebrate after

Even if it is just a small get together at your house, having a small celebration for your family/friends that you invited to the courthouse ceremony is a great way to continue the “wedding” festivities and bask in your new found status as a “Mrs.”.

My husband and I chose to have a family brunch at a great black owned Houston restaurant named Lucilles.  The atmosphere was perfect and the food was even better. The restaurant also was significant because the owner was an alumni of the same college that my husband graduated from!

Again, it doesn’t have to be anything fancy or expensive. It’s totally up to what your vibe is as a couple. I wanted something semi-formal so I felt like brunch was the perfect meal. It’s also my favorite time/meal so it just went perfectly. 

Get creative in finding a place that is special to you and your spouse. 

11.Remember that you can always have an even bigger ceremony later

Your courthouse wedding doesn’t have to be the end of your celebration. Many couples choose to later have a larger ceremony months or even years later. Your bigger traditional/or religious ceremony will still be special.

At the end of the day, the celebration is to celebrate you and your spouse becoming married. No one gets to dictate what constitutes a “real” marriage but you and your partner. 

My husband and I celebrate our anniversary on the day we had our courthouse wedding but some couples choose to celebrate their anniversary as the day they have the larger traditional wedding.

It’s totally up to you. If you can get both dates to match so that there’s no need to pick, even better, but if not, it’s all good which day you decide to celebrate. Your marriage is legal the day you stand before that judge!

Conclusion:

I hope these tips were helpful and that you are able to plan your courthouse wedding and make it special.

If you chose a courthouse wedding(for the future or you already had one), tell me why in the comments! Let me know what you did/will do to make your day special as well.

Much love,

Anita B.