Raleigh Courthouse Weddings
How to get married at the courthouse in North Carolina?
Get a marriage license! You can do this ahead of the ceremony or the same day but be sure to have all your required documents and leave extra time. Both parties must be present to get the license but you can fill out application at home to save time.
Pick a date/time! All courthouse weddings take place during weekdays (M-Th 1:30pm to 4 p.m. and Fri 9:30am - 12:00pm, 1:30pm - 4:00pm). Currently no appointments are required but this might change in 2025, be prepared to wait a little while.
Arrive with plenty of time to find parking. Ceremonies take place at the Wake County Justice Center on the 9th floor. There are 2 paid lots off of Davie Street between McDowell and Salisbury that are an easy walk away.
Pay the ceremony fee of $50 exact change to the Cashier's office on the 2nd floor.
Head up to the 9th Floor and wait to meet with the magistrate judge!
Time to get married! Ceremonies last 5-7 minutes but there is time for exchanging of rings and some personalization.
Go out and celebrate!
Things you can do to prepare for a courthouse wedding
Choose your witnesses: You will need two additional witness (I can be one of your witnesses if needed). This could be a family member or friends and they just need to be present for the ceremony and the signing of the marriage license (which is done ahead of ceremony and witnesses will need their ID).
Decide what to wear! A lot of brides do choose to wear wedding dresses so do not feel awkward going full bridal for your courthouse wedding. Men most often wear suits but there is not dress requirement (other than being appropriate for a government building).
Decide if you're going to exchange rings and go ahead and get those ordered. Although the ceremony is short there is still time to exchange rings and it is a beautiful symbol of your union.
Hire any vendors you might want:
Splurge on getting their nails, hair and/or makeup done ahead of the wedding ceremony.
Order a single bouquet and boutonniere from a local florist or make your own!
Design custom cookies or have a local baker make a small cake to enjoy after the ceremony.
Reserve a table for a celebratory dinner! reservation to celebrate your marriage!
And of course, find an amazing photographer to capture the day :)
How to prepare for a courthouse wedding!
DAY BEFORE WEDDING:
Drink lots of water and foods that won't upset your stomach. Nerves can still run high on wedding day and having a calm stomach is incredibly important.
Get to bed early to ensure plenty of sleep.
Lay out your marriage license, check/cash, outfits and anything else you plan to bring to the courthouse.
DAY OF WEDDING:
Make sure to arrive to the courthouse with ample time to find parking and not be rushed.
You will need to pay for the ceremony the day of and the price varies based on location so be sure to bring cash.
If you do not have an appointment, try to go early in the day or 1-2hrs before they close for the day.
Be patient, there is often a bit of a wait but the line will move quickly.
I will give you exact instructions on where to park, meet, etc when you hire me to photograph your courthouse wedding.
The ceremony is quick, usually ~5 minutes but the magistrate does a wonderful job to ensure a good experience is had by you and your guests (there are limits to how many can attend so be sure to double check this!)
AFTER THE WEDDING:
Celebrate, you are now legally married!
Hug, kiss, and celebrate, this is a joyous time!!
Take some photos with your friends/family/witnesses as well as some couples shots in the building and out front of the Justice Center
Downtown Raleigh is a stunning backdrop for a photo session and i'd love to tour you around to some of my favorite photo spots.
Raleigh recommendations:
Support some local businesses surrounding your wedding celebration.
Restaurant recommendations:
Dessert recommendations:
Hayes Barton Cafe & Dessertery
Cocktail recommendations:
Hotel recommendations:
The Casso, Raleigh, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel
Hire me to photograph your courthouse wedding:
My pricing for courthouse weddings and small local week day ceremonies:
$750 - 1.5hrs of coverage
$1250 - 2.5hr of coverage
$2000 - 4hrs of coverage for a quaint micro wedding surrounding a courthouse ceremony (getting ready, cocktail hour, dinner reception, etc).
All of my elopement services include:
Pre-wedding consult with all the details you need to prepare for your ceremony
Preview photos within 48hours...this is my favorite part!
Digital gallery you can share with friends and family
Print rights so you can print on your own or through my recommended print lab.
If you are planning a courthouse wedding as a precursor to a destination wedding, I include 2hr coverage of your local courthouse session for FREE with all of my destination wedding packages!
**Custom quotes for elopements, micro weddings and additional coverage are available, just send me a message and we can chat!
Feeling exotic?
Make it a destination courthouse elopement! A few of my favorite Courthouse and City Hall locations are:
The City Hall in NYC
San Fran
Chicago
Philly
Santa Barbara
Palm Beach
