Court Wedding

Decide how many people and what you'd like to do with them afterwards - I.e. Go to a restaurant or have them over at your place.

You can have a court wedding and then go out for dinner afterwards. When I was looking at photographers, there was one that showcased a court marriage and it was beautiful. The couple was funny and loving. They wore the traditional wedding outfits and then walked to the restaurant nearby. I think you can have a beautiful court marriage and nice dinner etc. and it'll be lovely. It's all about how you make it

We talked about doing this for a while. We were going to go to city hall and then have a nice dinner with our immediate families in a private room at a restaurant.

Thank you. Yes I really like it but I have no idea which court to use. We have several here. I was thinking of us making the trip to Santa Barbara, CA and do it there because they have a beautiful court room with a mural

In Florida, you're not limited to a county courthouse wedding (certain times/days). There are independent officiants (civil or religious) who will go to location of your choice (beach, park, restaurant, etc.) to marry you whenever you want.

My sister had a courthouse wedding. It was really sweet, because they do all the weddings on Friday afternoons. Everyone in line with us was really happy, because they were there for weddings (it was only brides, grooms and families). The happiest courthouse ever! Afterwards, we went out and took some pictures in the park nearby, and then the couple took everyone out for dinner at their favorite Indian restaurant. It was a really happy day and probably my favorite wedding (other than mine!).

Just get married on the beach! There is a wonderful company that will set up a beach wedding, hire an officiant and set up a (limited) photography session for you for and file your paperwork all for less then about 1500 depending on the package (The one FH and I are thinking about is only like $300 for just the two of us and a sand ceremony)

http://www.affordablebeachweddingsflorida.com/services/

I was thinking of the beach but it will be in june and it will be so hot. Im not sure its all up in the air now lol Thank you for the advice it is very helpful!

My brother just did this last month. They got married in a courthouse in front of about 20 people and then the next night they had a private dinner at an Italian restaurant for about 70 people.

I would say - figure out a date that will work for your "VIPs" aka family members or best friends that you want to be at dinner with you. Remember it will have to be during the week. Or, you could get married on a Friday and go to dinner the next night on a Saturday if you'd prefer. You should pay for your guests' meals, so figure out what you can afford to spend and find a nice restaurant that will take a reservation for your group that you can afford. Figure out what the laws are in your state - some states require a waiting period for your marriage license before they will do the ceremony, others you can do it the same day you apply for the license. Buy a pretty dress - if you want a traditional wedding dress, keep in mind many take 6-8 months to come in. Call photographers and find one available for your date. Buy rings. Order a bouquet. If you want your hair and makeup done, make an appointment at a salon. Good luck!

I will be having a court house wedding and a reception afterwards. It is stressful but i want to celebrate thst me and my hunni will finally be United as one

I schedule my beach weddings for shortly before sunset -- when it is not so hot.

Just make sure you are ok with however court weddings work in your area. Around here you can only bring a MAX of 2 people with you which was an issue for us because it meant we couldn't even have all 4 parents let alone any other family or friends. Also, those 2 people would have to include a photographer if you wanted one. You line up in a massive line outside and then are sat in the courtroom. You are called up one at a time and read through your vows, kiss, and everyone claps. It's really sweet and everything but it's about 2 minutes long and you don't get to have anyone there with you. There were a believe 2 couples out of maybe 80 that were dressed in close to traditional wedding wear. Most were in just semi-formal outfits of some sort. There were even quite a few dresses casually, in jeans or even sweat pants.

It might be different other places, of course, but that's how it is where we live. I would make sure it's going to fit what you want before you decide to go with it.

We do this literally every week, but Reggie is right; court weddings are different in every state, and in NJ, just for the record, very few courts even do them. If they do, you can only do it on very specific weekdays and with very limited guests.

Find a sweet little restaurant, find a great officiant and do a short ceremony before dinner or lunch. It's great way to do it, and much nicer than a courthouse, even if it works (my only exception is NYC, because the marriage bureau there is beautiful, busy and lots of international couples get married there. It's great!

This is becoming, quickly, one of the biggest parts of our practice, and all my officiants love our small weddings. They are completely different than giant extravaganzas, and not for everyone, but as Jorocka has pointed out, there are many, many things between "court wedding' and 'giant production'.

Maybe plan on having a dinner with your close friends and family at one of your favourite restaurants. Pick a cake, an outift and your flowers. Done.

My parents had a court wedding. Just moy mom dad, and dad's parents. Then they went out to dinner. They had a bigger party at my maternal grandparents a few weeks later, but just sort of a regular family get together thing.

If a small, simple wedding is what you want then go for it. Its your day and it shouldn't stress you out too much.