Sharing tips on how a Minnesota courthouse wedding is like, as well as all the things you need to have a courthouse wedding!
For many couples, spending their life together is just what they want! A big wedding might not feel like it fits their plans, or their personalities! Sometimes a courthouse wedding feels official and private and that’s what they love about it!
They were married in a beautiful and intimate ceremony at the Minneapolis Courthouse with their closest and dearest family members there to witness their union. Their vows were sweet and simple, and I love that the courthouse had flower pens available to sign the marriage certificate!
After the ceremony, we strolled around the city taking photos. Their guests met them later for a small celebration and dinner!
It was an intimate affair, full of comfortable conversation and lots of laughs and hugs!
If you are getting married at the Courthouse and do a portrait session afterwards, the portrait session will be during the golden hour, which is one to two hours before sunset ( 4:30pm – 6:30pm depending on the time of the year)
A courthouse wedding timeline for the afternoon would look like :
3:00pm – Arrive at the courthouse
3:30 – Ceremony
4:15pm – Exit the courthouse and celebrate!
4:30pm – Travel to portrait locations
4:45pm – Portraits start
6:00pm – Approximate time to finish portraits
8:00pm – If you are making a dinner reservations , I would suggest make it for 8pm !
You really don’t need much to have a wonderful and meaningful day! When you do a Minnesota courthouse wedding, the wedding is performed by a judge who will be your officiant. You have to still complete the marriage license process and find a date that works for both parties. The Hennepin County Courthouse is very beautiful and so is the Minneapolis city hall! Just go through this quick checklist:
The most beautiful courthouse wedding locations in the Minneapolis St Paul Area are:
You will want to contact the court before your wedding date to find out all of the requirements that are necessary for marrying within the court. Jumping online is the main way you can find information!
If you would like to have a civil marriage ceremony in the courthouse, you must contact a judge who can perform a wedding ceremony. Minnesota does not have any Justices of the Peace.
Search or call the judge’s chambers to schedule your ceremony or see their listed numbers online.
Generally if a wedding is during the work week at a courthouse it must be before 8:00 am or after 4:30 pm, but you can also get married on a weekend at a different schedule, depending on your judge!
You will need to fill out an application, which can currently be done online in most counties. You will need to be over 18, provide proof of identification as well! Double-check anything and everything!
To apply for a Minnesota marriage license you are not required to be a resident! The license only allows you to marry in the state of Minnesota and it expires after six months.
The day of your wedding you will need to bring your license and at least two wedding witnesses , but you can request the court to provide them.
There will be a fee involved with obtaining their marriage license, but you might have the option to pay in person later. Once this is completed, you will submit it and receive your marriage license.
The Minnesota Marriage license fee is $115 .
Popular courthouse wedding locations in the Minneapolis St Paul Area are
The most popular location, which is illustrated in this article.
List of judges available weekly at Hennepin County: County Marriages / Website / 612-348-9962
Gallery of a Hennepin County wedding
Located in St Paul, this historic building is pretty cool.
List of judges available at Ramsey County: Ramsey Marriages
Gallery of a Ramsey County wedding
The City Hall is an absolutely gorgeous building full of stained glass windows and carved Italian marble.
You can have a small wedding or a bigger guest list, including caterer and reception.
City Hall Wedding Information can be found at : City Hall Marriages. Wether or not you can get married at the City Hall depends on your judge.
Located in Shakopee, this building has a very classic courthouse feeling to it and it’s a great to show you what MOST courthouses look like.
List of judges available at Scott County: Scott County Marriages / 952-496-8432
Gallery of a Scott County wedding
– Minnesota Capitol Building
– Family Justice Center
– Juvenile Justice Center
– Brookdale, Ridgedale and Southdale Regional Service
– Stillwater Courthouse
To find more courts you can use the map on this link.
You’ll probably want to tell your friends and family about your wedding, even if they were not invited! A court marriage is short and sweet and you can share a photo or send a postcard to everyone after it!
The clothing that you and your future spouse decide to wear is totally up to you. You will want to consider that you can be very casual or very dressy, whichever you prefer. The best thing is to make sure that you both will be comfortable and feel like yourselves! Think about the moment and what it means to you, imagine saying your vows and what you will want to be wearing in your memories! This visual exercise helps to me! . Be sure that you think about these things before you make your plans so that you have everything that you need in order to make your day the very best that it can be!
Do you know the saying “Pictures or it didn’t happen”? Taking pictures and videos is also part of the fun and enjoyment of your big day! Be sure to get your pictures done by a professional photographer with wonderful scenes inside and outside when you get married in Minnesota. It will be something that you will cherish for a very long time to come!
Right now only the Dakota County has walk in marriage license availability in the Twin cities!
After their courthouse wedding, this couple celebrated at Alma restaurant
There is something so special about being invited to share in this intimate occasion, and I am absolutely honored when a bride and groom choose to bring me along for such an important, personal day.
Congratulations! I wish you many more joy-filled years together!
Laura went above and beyond to capture our wedding day. We had a few special requests, like some photos with our dog and photos of each table, and she took these in stride. We wanted the focus of the photography to be on our families, since we are rarely in one place at one time, and I feel like she succeeded in this 100% - all of the photos reflect the love and importance of family togetherness.
Laura was great and was truly invested in our whole story. We were so happy with our photos. they really captured us. We were continually impressed by her creativity and visual storytelling, her plans, and her preparedness.
Laura was so wonderful as the photographer for our wedding. She made us both feel so comfortable and made everything feel as natural as possible. Laura is super creative and fun to be around. She made my wedding day better and hiring her was the best decision I made for my wedding day - besides saying I do to my groom!