The short answer
To plan a courthouse wedding and reception, confirm the courthouse ceremony first with the office that issues your marriage license, because license and ceremony rules vary by state and county. Then book a reception, the same day or later, whose date and start time fit the ceremony, with room in the contract for the ceremony time to move, and plan photography and travel across both.
What should you ask the courthouse before planning the wedding?
Marriage license and ceremony rules vary by state and by county, and this guide does not state them. Ask the office that will issue your license, or check its official website, for its current requirements. Ask about the license itself, and separately about ceremonies at that office if you plan to marry there, since the two can be handled differently.
Write down each answer, the date, and the name or page you got it from. If the office changes a rule between your first question and your wedding, you will want to know which answer you planned around. Recheck the answers you depend on close to the date, and before you apply for the license.
- What the license application requires, and in what form
- Whether there is a waiting period or an expiry date
- Whether witnesses are needed, and how many
- Which days and hours the office holds ceremonies
- How ceremony times are booked, and how far ahead
- How many guests the ceremony room allows
- Whether photography is allowed during the ceremony
- Fees, and how they are paid
Should I book the reception before the courthouse date is set?
The reception depends on the ceremony, so settle the ceremony first where you can. If the office books ceremony times in advance, get your time confirmed in writing before you sign a reception contract. If it does not, or it cannot confirm a time until close to the date, choose a reception start time that leaves room for delay, and read the reception contract with that in mind.
If you sign the reception first, check what the contract says about changing the date. A courthouse closure or a moved appointment is outside your control, and the reception terms decide what a change would cost. Ask the reception venue about this before you sign, and keep its answer.
What should a restaurant or venue contract say for the reception?
A small reception may not fit a contract written for a larger event. Check the minimum guest count, any food and beverage minimum, room rental and service charges, and whether a smaller private room is available. Compare those terms against your guest count; a minimum can make a small reception cost as much as a larger one.
Also check the start time, how long you have the space, and whether the start can shift if the ceremony runs late. If the venue can hold the room for a later start, or has a fee for a delayed start, get it in writing. Note the cancellation and date-change terms in case the ceremony moves to another day.
How much time should you leave between a courthouse ceremony and reception?
Work it out from your own day rather than a rule. Add the time the ceremony takes, as the office describes it, any waiting time before it, travel between the two places, photographs, and time for guests to arrive at the reception. Then add a buffer for the ceremony starting late.
For example, in a hypothetical plan the ceremony is at 2:00 p.m. and the office says to allow 30 minutes. Photographs take 60 minutes and travel takes 40 minutes, so you reach the reception at 2:30 + 1:00 + 0:40 = 4:10 p.m. With a 30-minute buffer, a 4:45 p.m. reception start works, and guests who skipped the ceremony arrive for it.
Can you have the reception weeks or months after a courthouse wedding?
You can hold the reception on a later date. It then becomes a separate event with its own contract, and nothing in that contract needs to depend on the courthouse appointment. Book it the way you would any event: a date, a start and end time, a guest count and the minimums that apply to them.
Decide what the later event includes and say so in the invitation, for example a dinner or party celebrating a marriage that has already taken place. If you plan a second, symbolic ceremony at the reception, confirm with the officiant or venue what it involves. Photography, flowers and music for a later reception are their own bookings, with their own dates and coverage.
How do I plan photography across the courthouse and reception?
Ask the office whether photographs are allowed during the ceremony and where. Then write the photography contract around both locations: the coverage start and end, travel time between them, and whether time spent traveling counts as coverage. A package sized for a reception alone may not cover the ceremony too.
Using the hypothetical plan above, a 5-hour package starting at 1:30 p.m. ends at 6:30 p.m., which covers the ceremony, photographs and the first 1 hour 45 minutes of a reception starting at 4:45 p.m. If you want the toasts or a first dance later, move the start, add time, or accept that those moments fall outside coverage.
Who officiates, and how do you invite guests to each part?
Ask the office whether it provides an officiant or whether you bring your own, and what it requires of an outside officiant. If you bring one, the officiant agreement guide covers what to confirm, including who handles the license before and after the ceremony and what happens if they cannot attend.
If the ceremony room is small, decide who attends it and who joins at the reception, and say so clearly on the invitation or in a message. Two guest lists, one for each part, help avoid confusion at the door. The reception headcount is the one the venue and caterer need.
Courthouse and reception planner
Use one row for a decision or deliverable. Keep unanswered items visible. Download the blank worksheet to open in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets.
On a small screen, swipe the worksheet sideways to see the remaining columns.
| Item | Answer or time | Source and date | Depends on | Confirmed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| License requirements (issuing office) | — | — | — | — |
| Ceremony booking and time | — | — | — | — |
| Ceremony guest limit | — | — | — | — |
| Officiant | — | — | — | — |
| Photography allowed at ceremony | — | — | — | — |
| Travel time to reception | — | — | — | — |
| Reception start and room hours | — | — | — | — |
| Reception minimums and date-change terms | — | — | — | — |
| Photography coverage window | — | — | — | — |
A message you can make your own
Change the wording to suit you, fill in anything in brackets and keep the questions that apply. You decide what to send and send it yourself.
We are planning a courthouse ceremony followed by a reception at your venue on [date]. Our ceremony is at [time], so we are looking at a reception start of [time]. Could you confirm in writing the minimum guest count or spending minimum for that date, how long we would have the room, whether the start time can move later if the ceremony runs late and whether that has a fee, and your terms if the ceremony has to move to a different day?
Common questions
Can you get married at the courthouse and still have a wedding?
You can get married at the courthouse and still hold a wedding celebration, on the same day or later. The courthouse ceremony follows the issuing office's process, and the celebration is a separate event with its own venue contract, guest list and vendors. Say clearly on the invitation what guests are attending.
Do I need a marriage license for a courthouse wedding?
Whether and when you need a marriage license for a courthouse wedding is set by the state and county, so ask the office that issues licenses where you will marry. Requirements can include documents, a waiting period, an expiry date and witnesses. Get the current answer from that office, write down the date you asked, and recheck it before you apply.
What days does the courthouse do weddings?
The days a courthouse holds weddings are set by each office, and they can differ from its general opening hours. Ask the office, or check its official website, which days and times it holds ceremonies, whether it takes appointments or walk-ins, and whether weekend ceremonies are offered. Confirm the answer before you sign a reception contract for a particular date.
Do you need rings for a courthouse wedding?
Rings for a courthouse wedding depend on the ceremony the office or officiant performs, so ask whether the ceremony includes a ring exchange or requires anything you must bring. Whether to exchange rings is otherwise your own choice. If you plan to, decide in advance who holds them during the ceremony.
Can guests come to a courthouse wedding?
Guests at a courthouse wedding depend on the office and the room. Ask how many guests are allowed, whether they need to arrive at a set time or pass through security, and any rules on photography. Share those details with ceremony guests, and give everyone else the reception address and start time.
How much does a courthouse wedding and reception cost?
A courthouse wedding and reception has no single cost you can rely on. The office sets its own license and ceremony fees, and the reception contract, including any guest minimum or food and beverage minimum, sets the rest. Ask the office for its fees in writing, get reception quotes at your real guest count, and total both before comparing options.
What if the courthouse ceremony is delayed on the day?
A courthouse ceremony delay is easier to handle if the point person tells the reception venue and the photographer as soon as the delay is known. Check in advance what the reception contract says about a later start and any fee for it, so the call on the day is a heads-up rather than a negotiation.