How Does a City Hall Wedding Differ From Other Weddings?

Planning

Planning a city hall wedding differs greatly from planning a traditional wedding. It does not take as long and the preparations are not nearly as grand. Though planning a city hall wedding varies from state to state, the process is fairly simple.

You should first call your local city hall and find out which days and hours wedding ceremonies are available. Then, choose your date. Since most city hall ceremonies are simple and small, you should put a limit on your guest list.

Obtain a marriage license from city hall before your wedding. This may require both partners to be present and official documents such as a Social Security card and birth certificate to be presented.

The Wedding Party

The cost of a city hall wedding varies between $20 and $50. Considering that most traditional wedding cost between $1,000 and $10,000, a city hall wedding is quite a bargain!

Unlike traditional weddings, some city hall weddings allow you a limited number of guests. Since most city hall services are not that big, you should limit your number of friends and family to less than 10.

Some couples getting married in city hall still prefer to incorporate regular wedding traditions into the ceremony. Bridal bouquets are common, as are white bridal dresses. Though city hall wedding parties are not as large as regular weddings, some couples still have a best man and maid of honor.

The Ceremony

City hall wedding ceremonies are performed by judges. If you have a particular judge you would like to use, you can notify city hall in advance and they can schedule that judge for you.

You may be able to discuss with your judge which type of ceremony you would like. If you have a religious preference for your ceremony, you should notify your judge well before the wedding date.

A city hall wedding can be as formal or informal as you like. You can invite your guests to wear jeans or you can ask them to wear dresses and suits. Even at city hall, you can have a themed wedding simply by asking your guests to dress the part.