Marriage with no wedding?

Question

If my fiance and I just wanted to get married officially on paper without a ceremony, how could we go about doing that? We have no money to have a big wedding and I don't have the time/interest to plan a huge event. We have a son together that is a month old and we just want to be a family.

Answer 1

call up city hall in the city where you live, there should be a justice of the peace who can marry you and then you can be done with it.

Answer 2

You can go to the courthouse with no big deal but there is a "ceremony".  It can be short and sweet:  Does she take him?  Does he take her?   etc., etc.  and voila... you are married!

Answer 3

Depends which country you are in.  In USA you can go to a JP and get this done in a courthouse.  In the UK you go to a registary office and have this done by a registrar.  Both involve a legal `service` a special words you have to say but apart from witnesses it will not be a huge event or cost a lot of money.

Congratulations and good luck.

Answer 4

Do it at the court house.  Take your ID and birth certificate.  Take yall family too.  then they can all go over to your house and you both can make them a nice inexpensive dinner.  Our friends did that.  We all got drunk in celebration of their marriage :)

Answer 5

Hi.  You DO have to have a ceremony.  However, it certainly doesn't have to be a huge event.

~ Apply for a marriage license.

~ Make an appointment at the courthouse for a wedding.

~ Get dressed up....or wear jeans.

~ See if you need witnesses in your state.  Some you do....some you don't.  The courthouse can tell you what you need.

~ You walk in....say the vows....exchange rings (if you want to...it's not mandatory).....have a kiss....sign the marriage certificate....you are done.  All done in about 10 minutes.

That's it!  You are married1

Answer 6

However you go from being not married to married is your wedding...even if its just in the courthouse. You go to yoru local courthouse, file for a license, then have a JP do what is necessary to make it official. File your completed forms with the clerk of the court, and boom, you're married.

Answer 7

If you want a church wedding, then talk to your minister/priest and discuss this. If you really want a small little get together then you can probably have it right after the ceremony with some appetizers and a small cake so you can have some pictures for later.

If you truly don't care for it all, then you can probably just go to cityhall and get married that way.

All the best and congrats :)

Answer 8

It is fine with no wedding at all, what's more important to have a wedding or to be together?

If you really wanted to have a wedding a small one is alright why plan for a big wedding that will eventually give you headache?

But now ask yourself will u regret eventualyy if without a wedding as I know gals sometimes sad if compared with friends so ask yourself do you really want a wedding first?

Answer 9

Go to the justice of the peace.  You can bring a few family members as witnesses.

Answer 10

Head to the courthouse - Most counties have a specific day when they do weddings.

I flew to Vegas for mine ... we were lucky enough to have frequent flier miles to use so it was incredibly inexpensive, but I realize we were lucky.

Good Luck!!!!

Answer 11

Congratulation!!!!  I am getting married too!! (In 5 mths!)

WHat you can do is get married at a courthouse so it can be truly LEGAL!  Costs to you:

$100 - marriage license

$60 - fee to get married at courthouse

$100 - officiant to marry you (get a pastor either you or a relative knows)

$0.00 - Wintess (two relatives or friends who know you well to sign your marriage certificate)

Actually gettingit alldone....PRICELESS!!!

Personally I am in this dilema as well.  We both have very little money.  I am a full time student without a job; and he is trying (for the last 2 years) to get his internet business of the ground -- (I will give him the opportunity now to chase his dream and try & try again until it no longer makes sense to continue ...which is when the babies and major financial responsibilites start pouring in, (LOL).

He wants to geive me a plesant wedding that I can look back and say....."It was wonderful!" - and I agree...I want that but not at the cost of 25,000.  I told him we ca just do it for 10,000.  He agreeed!  (but what I really wanted to say is...$5,000 - LOL)

Ok, so, you will need a marriage license which give you the legal right to be married.  Then, you can go get married by a legally approved individual (officiant) who has authority under the state to marry you.  

Requirements to get a marriage license vary from state to state so google "marriage license in .....whatever state you're in"  and see what they say.  Some basic requirement include presenting a birth certificate, proof of citizenship, and a photo ID - like your driver's license.  There is also a fee to get the license (I think it's under $100-.  In Fl. it is $93.50).  Some states ask for a blood test;  and there is even a waiting period of days!  Also, the license is only valid for 60 days before you get the certificate.  Some states require you get a blood test done; and also go through a marriage preparation course for at least a certain length of time (and it you do that, you get a fiscound on the license fee!)   So you must get  married within that time frame.  

After the ceremony, which can be easily done at a courthouse, the officiant, the newly weds and usually 2 witnesses (family memers or friends) all sign the certificate - (Don't mess it up...I am not sure if they give duplicates!!!)  The signed certificate gets sent back to the county clerk's office as a legal document on file.

Hope this helps!

Answer 12

As other people have said, you can go to the courthouse and get the justice of the peace to perform the ceremony.  If you are involved in a church, then you can ask the minister to do it and you still don't have to have a lot of people there.

I'm with you, I really don't have an interest in a really big event, you're taking your vows so it should be the way you want it.

Congratulations and good luck!

Answer 13

Go to the courthouse and get married by a justice of the peace. Simple, no planning and painless. Congrats!

Answer 14

my girlfriend back home did not want all the hoopla over a wedding either.  however, she did want a few close friends and family nearby.  she and her now husband were married right after sunday service.  believe it or not, it was the only wedding i've ever cried at because the focus was on the true feeling of the marriage and not all the stress and frustrations that happens in other weddings.  after the ceremony, we all went to ruby tuesday's for the "reception".  everyone paid for their own meal.  for dessert, her parents surprised the couple with a sheet cake from publix to serve as the "wedding cake".  it was a WONDERFUL day full of TRUE LOVE.  

i'm thinking about doing something just as simple.  if i don't have something at a church, i will look into having a ceremony at the house.  i would have our minister come to the house to perform the ceremony.  i'll invite a few family members and friends over and depending on the weather, we'll either have an inside dinner or a cookout.  whatever you decide to do, BEST WISHES and much HAPPINESS :-)

Answer 15

Go to City Hall and get married by a judge, thats offical enough. And why wast time and money on a big wedding when you have do better thing with that money.

Hey, if the law knows your married, thats all that matter.  And you having his last name is also sweet.

Answer 16

Weddings cost very little. You can do pretty much any wedding you want, and if you skip the reception you're home free. They can normally be done without (much) customization. So whether you want a church wedding or are ok with a courthouse go for it.

Answer 17

just go to the courthouse and apply for a marriage application, in about a week they will have the wedding license, then you call a judge or justice of the peace (the courthouse gave us a list so we just called until someone could do it the day we wanted.)  i'm not sure of the exact process of the "ceremony" at the courthouse since i'm doing it later today ( !!! ) but all in all it's costing us less than two hundred dollars (filing fees and all that)  but, its a simple process in minnesota, not sure how it is everywhere else. but good luck!! have fun!!

Answer 18

Even heading to the courthouse, you still have a wedding.  The only way you can be married with no wedding is if you live in a common law state.  Then after living together for so many years, you will be married in the eyes of the state.

Otherwise it costs money.  Even a courthouse wedding is something like $60 for the marriage license and $50 for the JOP to perform it.  Plus if you don't bring your own witnesses you'll have to pay each of them like $10.

I'm not sure where you live but you can have beautiful ceremonies for 300-400.  You can find a nice white sundress, grab a bouquet and a cake for two from Walmart for $20.  Then about $100-200 for marriage license and officant fee.  Or on the other coast, there is always Vegas.  Vegas has soo many chapels you can go in anywhere with roughly $100.

It doesn't have to be a huge event.  Invite his mom and dad and your mom and dad.  That's all.  They will make a cake and some punch.  Go someplace beautiful nearby where they can take pictures of you in a white dress on your wedding day.  You'll enjoy it after the fact.  A JOP just doesn't look as beautiful nor sound as nice as a intimate beach wedding.

It doesn't take long to save up less than $500.

Answer 19

Go the justice of the peace.  Or have a small get together at someone's house and have the JOP or a preacher come over and marry you.  Then you will still have a small party that won't cost much.  

Answer 20

You still need a ceremony, and that's your wedding. As others suggested, have a civil wedding ceremony.

Wish you luck.

Answer 21

If you want just a step up from a courthouse wedding, you can hire someone who's licensed to marry people, and just invite a couple friends to a pretty local park or lake or whatever.  It will cost very little money, maybe $100 or whatever the officiant's fee is.  Some of these officiants are very kind people who have been doing this on the side as years.  The officiant will explain what paperwork you need in your city.

You can have your friends take some nice pictures of you and then all go out for dinner if you'd like, or have a picnic and make a day of it.  It is nice to be able to spend time with loved ones and make a nice memory, even if it's just a couple people.