Anybody familiar with marriage in a courthouse?

Question

I am getting married in a courthouse, but as a foreigner I am not very familiar with the procedure. i am not reffering to the bureaucracy but to the actual ceremony. Do I hold flowers, do I wear a simple gown... etc? Can somebody please describe it to me? Thanks

Answer 1

I saw couples getting married in the courthouse when me and my husband went there to fill out the marriage license paperwork.  They had a room off to the side to perform the ceremonies in.  I have to say that there were a few in white dresses and I kind of felt bad for them because it just looked silly and not the right place to wear a white dress.  I think you would be better off to wear a light colored skirt/suit or shell dress with coordinating jacket.  Maybe something in a pale pink, pale yellow, pale blue, etc.  Don't carry flowers...looks goofy.  Best wishes.

Answer 2

You can hold flowers....or a dead cat.

You can wear a gown....or a bikini

A courthouse wedding has no rules or formality in style.

It is only a legal procedure.

The couple normally set the scene as to how they want to dress, and ask that the invited guests (usually quite small crowd) dress appropriate to the way that you want the ceremony to look.

Answer 3

Hi!  I'm doing this too!!  

I'll be interested to see what other people say!

I'm going to wear a simple but pretty dress (still trying to decide between calf length, knee length or floor length), probably wear some flowers in my hair or something like that(not bothering with a veil - but that's just coz I don't really like them), and I'm going to have a very simple bouquet.

We're only inviting our parents and siblings and just asked them to dress in smart casual wear.

Doesn't matter whether it's in a church, a garden or a courthouse - you can wear whatever you want because it's your day :)

Answer 4

It's secured and it sounds very good to hear.Yes you can hold flowers and wear a simple gown. Really beautiful.

Answer 5

About half of courthouse brides (in my area) wear a gown, and almost all at least dress up. Usually about a quarter of the couples also have flowers. I have heard of a few brides hiding in the bathroom so that the groom doesn't see her until she walks into the courtroom. A wedding in a courthouse doesn't mean it should be taken any less seriously- it just means that the ceremony is being held in a venue recognized by the state. If I got married in a courthouse, I would at least wear a gown. Hopefully you only get married once, so do whatever will make it special for you. Best wishes.

Answer 6

Hi and congratulations:

~ The ceremony is typically very short (10-15 minutes).

~ YES, you can carry some flowers.  

~ YES, you can wear a simple gown.

~ YES, most courthouse weddings you can have guests.  Check with the courthouse as to how many you can bring.  Some courthouses have large rooms, others have small rooms.

~ Don't forget the groom!!  Get him a boutonniere if you want.

Now....all of the above are IF you want.  Obviously, you do not have to hold flowers if you don't want to....and, you can get married in jeans and a t-shirt if you want!  

Good luck!

Note to Tasty Lamb Shanks.....you are funny!  I got a laugh out of your answer.