Mary is a wedding blogger with 10 years experience. If being the center of attention isnt your thing and all you want is to get married to the person you love without a big show then a courthouse wedding can provide that intimate environment for you. The best way to do this? It is your special day and if you and your partner want to ride off together into the sunset on your own to honor and celebrate your marriage then you should do just that! It actually could shove you into debt and make getting your degree and buying a house take longer. So, the whole ceremony part lasts about five minutes total but can go up to ten minutes. If youre not afraid of the cons above, consider a courthouse wedding as an intimate way to get married quickly, efficiently and wallet-friendly. Your privacy is safe, we will not sell or share your information to anyone. If being the center of attention, surrounded by hundreds of people, doesnt sound appealing to you, a small, intimate ceremony at the courthouse will be perfect. A confidential marriage license is legally binding, just like a public license, but its not part of the public record. Couples typically only invite their closest family members and close friends who are part of the wedding, creating a close-knit and small group of people. I was living together with my ex, before we got married and his and my parents are Christians. Courthouse weddings are becoming more popular each day. Consider the following pros and cons to determine if a court clerk career is right for you. Cohabiting has all the financial benefits of being in a marriage without the legal hassles that come with marriage. If you're planning a destination wedding in another country, you'll likely need to apply for your marriage license in your hometown. So we got married spur of the moment. Sign up for yourFREE wedding planning checklist here! Mary- I thought you were waiting a while? This way there is no politics and no stress involved as most people will understand that the courthouse will not allow more than a certain number of people to attend your wedding. Here are some steps to help you plan a beautifully intimate, elegant, and memorable courthouse wedding: Some City Halls are better than others with one of the best being in San Francisco. Getting married at the courthouse will still cost you something, but nothing close to what you would pay for a full-on traditional wedding with all the bells and whistles. If my friends had gotten married, I would have given them a gift when they got married, whether they had a large reception or not. Legal Cons of Getting Married Formalities Marriage, for all its pros and cons, requires that certain formalities be performed, which may or may not be what you want. The PP hit the nail on the head. In fact, some might say that it takes the idea of marriage back to its simplest form. While some couples believe they cannot afford a traditional reception, they fail to consider how lovely a cheaper party can be. When I did, I got completely bashed upon on the only opinion that matters on what should happen is yours, your fiancees, and your families- not random strangers on the internet they are not the ones attending your ceremony. If you're one to worry about all the things that could go wrong during your wedding ceremony, especially in front of a big crowd of friends and family, getting married beforehand is a great option to minimize your what-if fears. You'll be married. What other opportunity do you get to have everyone you love under one roof on such a special occasion? Id like to know what you decided to do. Often, people choose religious ceremonies even if they arent particularly religious, as they enjoy the tradition and atmosphere. Civil unions are less expensive but sometimes we want to be married without the extra fluff. Sign up on The Knot to reach more couples and book more weddings! You'll find content for brides of all genders, traditions, religions and colors to help your big day stand out from the crowd. Hayley and Robert (and Moko), Raleigh, NC, 10.18.19 #photography #digitalphotography #5dmarkii #wedding #weddingphotography #courthousewedding #weddingceremony #raleigh #raleighnc #northcarolina, A post shared by Kelley Bennett (@kelleyebennett) on Oct 28, 2019 at 7:51pm PDT. Years later their stories are still romantic. We are learning towards do it like this and then having a small reception soon after. Your email address will not be published. I prefer plain wording because it doesn't leave much to interpretation. You mentioned you lost your job, leading up to your wedding day you are supposed to buy your gown, your FH is supposed to be getting his suit and you are supposed to be making payments to your vendors. I'd just like to add that when you do a big "do-over" or "Pretty Princess Day" it just comes off as completely childish. A courthouse wedding is a wedding, even if it's not the wedding of your dreams. I did it for the same reason you are being advised to do it. at the end of the day you will be married to one another. One pro is that it is generally cheaper than having a traditional wedding ceremony. If you want to recite your vows or would like additional guests or a photographer to be present, then it is important to make sure with the courthouse that you can do these things before you arrive. If you're planning a destination wedding in another state, you'll need to check with your state's requirements for transferring a marriage license from state to state. No Im not calling it a vow renewal. Everyone knew we had already been married, this was just a day for us to reaffirm our marriage in front of friends and family (to bad he didn't uphold any of it! I even got both witnesses in this shot * * * * * * * * * * #weddingphotographer #courthousewedding #blacklove #blackcouples #marriagelicense #motherofthebride #fatherofthebride #groom #futurehusband #groom #munaluchibridal, A post shared by Omar (@omartakespictures) on Oct 19, 2019 at 11:43am PDT. Rehearsal Dinners, Bridal Showers & Parties, Flower Girl Dresses and Ring Bearer Outfits, http://www.idotaketwo.com/renewing_wedding_vows.html, http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_ceremony-ideas_a-note-to-those-who-want-courthouse-weddings-then-have-a-ceremony-later. Financially, a courthouse wedding with a small reception afterwards, or even a church wedding (if you attend the church they may let you use it as a venue for free) Courthouses usually charge a small fee, but a couple hundred is nothing compared to the thousands a traditional ceremony costs. Sometimes it can even take a few months to find a slot. Some people might call that a renewing of vows rather than a wedding, but it really depends on how you present it. If you do this, please make sure your guests know you are already married when you have your vow renewal. It's a great party and if you want to have one, by all means you do you. Half of the battle amounts to determining what elements of a traditional wedding matter most to you, preserving those elements, and cutting costs in areas that matter less. Con No. Well maybe not completely stress-free, its still a wedding. In the U.S., couples can expect to spend around $35,000, on average, on their weddings (before they even plan their honeymoon). She got married in 2017 in Geneseo, NY and designed her own wedding invitations and programs for the occasion. I think do what you want, but don't expect everyone to be ok with it. Dont forget to join our Wedding club for more tips on planning a wedding. I want it to be meaningful and fun! Civil ceremonies tend to be more intimate, even while quick and inexpensive. Struggling with pre-wedding jitters? There's your wedding to plan and pull off, merging of two households (if you don't live together now), and ticking off post-marriage to-dos. This is completely up to you and your fiance. In Response to : I don't understand what you mean by "consequences." The reasons for this phenomenon can be due to either personal or financial circumstances or preference but at the end of the day, a courthouse wedding can save a couple who want to get married a lot of time, stress, and money! The reason I would not attend a vow renewal so close to a legal wedding is because I feel that is merely a "Pretty Princess" party. Being declared lawfully single allows the parties to carry on with their lives and feel emotionally separated from a spouse that may have hurt them through infidelity, estrangement, or abuse. Unfortunately, not many courthouses operate on a weekend so a Saturday courthouse wedding will be quite hard to secure. Just leaves room for someone else who does! In less than an hour, your wedding will be round up successfully. I agree with almost everyone here; this is offensive on many levels. Your Guide to Planning Multiple Wedding Ceremonies and Receptions, This Is Why Your Marriage License Is So Important, Advice All Newly-Engaged Couples Need to Hear, According to Wedding Experts, The Prettiest City Halls to Consider for Your Wedding, How to Legally Get Married in a Foreign Country. If you don't want to get pregnant, there are many ways to prevent pregnancy (https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control) which will drastically reduce the likelihood of needing to get married due to unplanned pregnancy. They usually last up to 10 minutes and dont require huge fees or a long guest list. And isnt that what marriage is all about. We have plenty more ways for you to create a budget for your wedding which will email you directly. Not having to worry about seating arrangements or wedding decorations or any of those types of things means that you can concentrate more on you and your partner on the day where it is all about you two. It's a great way to lower your wedding day anxiety. At the reception, it still was our 'first dance as husband and wife' since we had not danced at any point before that. The reasons we are thinking of going this direction are money, convenience and we kind of got the wedding experience out of our systems. After that, the officiant continues with the ceremony by having the partners place rings on each others fingers, and thats it! You'll be married sooner. Fair warning. Fast forward two months and the couple had a bigger, fancier wedding in France with an extended guest list. Opting for a summer backyard wedding and a rented wedding dress can create a special occasion at a fraction of the cost. We kept the 'wedding' part low key and there were few variations in the ceremony (ie we were not pronounced husband and wife). Our immediate family members are very easy going. Church wedding, reception, weekend party, bachelor party, etc. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'loudbride_com-banner-1','ezslot_2',182,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-loudbride_com-banner-1-0'); Therefore, ceremonies in courthouse weddings are extremely short and informal. If you were just going to do the court house it would be less things to pay for. until you get married next year won't be a huge deal when you look at it over a lifetime. Pros: cheaper, smaller group, less stress in planning. Cons: Not all courthouses are pretty, may not feel as BIG of a day as a full-day wedding. If this is a worry I recommend a local elopement--officiant, pretty venue (like a park or something cheaper) and a photographer. Bonus: the marriage is just a real and important as anyone else's If you want beautiful pictures and a decorated venue, a Home Affairs wedding might not meet your standards. It will just be you, your significant other, and a handful of close family and friends. There should always be cake ;-), You can have a celebration on your "big day," but it will not be your "wedding." Con-court house are cold and stale,no family or friends, https://www.buzzfeed.com/mackenziekruvant/city-hall-weddings-that-prove-less-is-more, https://www.buzzfeed.com/juliegerstein/sweet-details-city-hall-wedding-dresses, https://www.buzzfeed.com/melissaharrison/couples-who-eloped. If this is Make Sure That You Have Done All of Your Research, 4. Another pro is that it can be less stressful than planning a Flashback time! Also, are you trying to get pregnant? So I want to do a celebration. But big weddings arent for everyone. You can still achieve the pomp and circumstance of a traditional wedding with a larger reception party. My husband and I got married in Dec/2018, and not everyone knows we are married. The great thing about a courthouse wedding is youll get all the classic shots like a first kiss but have extra time to take portraits afterward. 7 years ago we realized we liked each other, a lot 5 years ago we moved in together 2.5 years ago he proposed 2 years ago we got legally married 1 month from now we're finally going to celebrate our wonderful relationship I love you, Enoch! With a courthouse wedding, you go back to basics with the people that matter. Lots of other prefer and are thrilled they had a courthouse wedding. Thats why courthouse weddings are a popular choice for anti-weddings. This also makes for great wedding photographs with beautiful architecture and character in the background. Remember, you only get married onceor twice and the day should be one to remember for the rest of your lives together. Many couples choose to get officially married before the big day, and it's more common than ever in light of the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the world right now. Remember that the official process of making a marriage legal varies from state to state. We only use cookies on this Site for particular features to work, the cookies do not collect and/or store any personal information about you. Wedding guests Share with your guests to collect your wedding photos Venues These days, more and more couples have chosen to get married in court. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. If youre considering a courthouse wedding, here are some of the common pros and cons I found from talking to other brides and Now, more than ever before, couples have a very good reason to make it official before the celebration: In light of the coronavirus pandemic that's sweeping the globe, couples have been forced to postpone their weddings until later this year or next. This means less time planning and budgeting for a long wedding. You do whatever makes you happy but expect some sideeye if you choose to pretend that a celebration of marriage/vow renewal is a wedding, because it is not. With vendors, schedules and seating arrangements, it can quickly become a stressful time moving around multiple elements that need to fit together. I havent been to a courthouse wedding myself but I know a few couples who had one. Courthouse Weddings: The Good and The Bad, Planning A Courthouse Wedding: A Step-By-Step Guide, 1. No one is entitled to anything, and there are consequences for decisions. Traditional marriages require the bride to wear a traditional wedding dress and the groom a nice suit. Not When Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner got married in Vegas in May of 2019, many people thought that'd be the last of the wedding photos we'd see. Even though she didn't have the full experience she does not want to do that process over again. Also, gay marriage licenses, higher income taxes in some circumstances, and decreases in overhead for government benefit programs all result in increased government revenue. Leah Weinberg, owner of Color Pop So, why exactly are courthouse weddings so short? The bride and groom sometimes must attend marriage classes, and typically they should be married in a church they belong to or are connected to it somehow. You dont need to have a If the social aspects of a wedding are important to you, the smaller scale of an elopement may not deliver on the memories youre hoping to make. COVID-19 Corona Virus By the way, if youre interested in Church weddings and the duration of ceremonies there, you might want to take a look at my other article about how long a Church ceremony is. Additionally, the rigid structure is quickly becoming a thing of the past, and most modern couples dont want to feel fettered by tradition, especially if they arent largely religious. However, bigger isnt always better. You will regret not having the wedding you want, if you settle for having a court house wedding, for his sake. A typical wedding can last up to an hour. Some couples decide to have a small, less expensive courthouse wedding, even if they receive financial support from their families. A courthouse wedding is significantly more cost-effective and allows you to spend the money saved on an extravagant honeymoon or even home renovations!

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pros and cons of courthouse wedding