Safety first: Prices are examples with an as-of date. Always confirm with your own vendors. Please read our editorial guidelines before you start.
Key takeaways
- Our example courthouse wedding is $1,356 all in; a courthouse ceremony plus dinner for 20 is $4,306; a small wedding for 50 is $8,000.
- The legal part is small: Paperlust's 2026 guide puts license plus civil ceremony at about $30 to $250. Los Angeles County lists $91 and $35.
- Every option needs the same marriage license. The difference is food, space and guests.
- Courthouse plus a restaurant dinner skips most rental and staffing costs.
- Fees are set by each county, so check your county clerk's site before you budget.
In this post9 sections
The Verdict: Courthouse or Small Wedding?
Pick a courthouse wedding if the marriage matters more to you than the party, you want it done in weeks rather than months, or you want most of your budget to go to a house, a trip or savings. Our example courthouse wedding comes to $1,356 all in.
Pick a small wedding if having 30 to 50 people in the room is the point, you want a meal and a dance, and you can give it six months or more. Our example small wedding for 50 guests is $8,000.
Pick the middle option (courthouse ceremony, then dinner for about 20) if you want both: the legal part kept short and cheap, and one good meal with the people closest to you. Our example is $4,306.
All three budgets are examples as of October 2026, not quotes or financial advice. Fees for marriage licenses and civil ceremonies are set by each county, so check your county clerk's website.
Side by Side: Cost, Guests, Time, Planning
| Courthouse wedding | Courthouse plus dinner | Small wedding (50 guests) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Example total | $1,356 | $4,306 | $8,000 |
| Guests | 2 witnesses, up to about 10 | About 20 | About 50 |
| Planning time | Often a few weeks | 1 to 3 months | Often 6 to 12 months |
| Ceremony | 10 to 20 minutes, by a judge or clerk | Same | Your officiant, your words |
| Venue | Courthouse or city hall | Courthouse, then a restaurant room | Hall, park, backyard or venue |
| Food | Lunch out for a few people | Plated or family-style dinner | Buffet for 50 |
| Photos | 1 hour | 3 hours | 4 hours |
| License | Needed | Needed | Needed |
The license line is the same in every column. A small wedding still needs a marriage license from the county; the courthouse just also performs the ceremony.
What a Courthouse Wedding Costs
The legal part is cheap. Paperlust's 2026 guide puts a marriage license plus a civil ceremony at about $30 to $250 in total, with most couples paying around $100 to $150. As one real county example, Los Angeles County lists a public marriage license at $91 and a civil ceremony at $35, and its board has approved raising them to $176 and $44 starting 30 days after the new fee ordinance is adopted. Certified copies, which you need to change your name, usually cost extra per copy.
Everything else is your choice: what you wear, flowers, rings, photos and a meal afterward. Paperlust puts courthouse weddings with extras at about $500 to $5,000. Here is our example.
| Line | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| License | Los Angeles County public license, as an example | $91 |
| Ceremony fee | Los Angeles County civil ceremony, as an example | $35 |
| Certified copies | Two copies, example $15 each | $30 |
| Attire | Dress or suit off the rack | $300 |
| Flowers | Small bouquet and a boutonniere | $60 |
| Rings | Two plain bands | $300 |
| Photos | Photographer, 1 hour | $400 |
| Lunch | Lunch out for four | $140 |
| Total | $1,356 |
What a Small Wedding Costs
A small wedding pays for the same license, then adds a venue, food for every guest, rentals, music and more photo hours. Our 50 person wedding cost guide builds three budgets, and the lowest is $8,000 for 50 guests: a hall or restaurant room, a drop-off buffet, beer and wine, four hours of photos and a 5 percent buffer. At 30 guests, our $5,000 wedding budget shows the same shape for less.
The jump from courthouse to small wedding is mostly food and space. Food, cake, drinks and rentals for 50 people were $3,200 of the $8,000 in that plan, and the venue was another $1,200.
The Middle Option: Courthouse Plus Dinner
Many couples land here. You marry at the courthouse in the morning or early afternoon, then host about 20 people for dinner in a restaurant's private room. Restaurants handle tables, plates, service and cleanup, so most of the rental and staffing lines of a wedding disappear.
| Line | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Courthouse wedding | Everything in the courthouse budget above | $1,356 |
| Dinner | Restaurant private room, 20 x $65 | $1,300 |
| Drinks | Wine and beer, 20 x $25 | $500 |
| Service and tax | Example 25 percent on food and drinks | $450 |
| Cake | Small cake from a bakery | $120 |
| Photos | Two more hours with the photographer | $500 |
| Table flowers | Grocery stems in bud vases | $80 |
| Total | $4,306 |
Ask the restaurant about a food and beverage minimum for the private room, and whether the service charge already includes the tip. Those two answers move the total more than the menu does.
Courthouse Wedding Pros and Cons
What we like
- Lowest total: our example is $1,356 all in
- Can happen in weeks, not months
- Almost nothing to plan or rent
- Easy to add a party later, when you have saved for it
Keep in mind
- Few or no guests, which can hurt family feelings
- Short ceremony with set wording and limited time slots
- Courthouse rules on photos, guests and timing vary
- Appointments can book up in popular months
Small Wedding Pros and Cons
What we like
- The people you care about are there
- Your own vows, music and food
- Still a fraction of the $34,200 average in The Knot's 2026 study
- Room for traditions: a first dance, toasts, a cake cutting
Keep in mind
- About six times the cost of our courthouse example
- Months of planning and many vendors
- Guest list pressure: 50 grows to 70 quickly
- Fixed costs (photos, attire, rings) stay the same as a bigger wedding
How to Choose
Answer these before you decide
If the guest count is the sticking point, the guide to cutting the guest list helps. If you choose a small wedding, the wedding ideas on a budget list keeps it lean. Whichever you pick, put every line, deposit and due date into one plan: the Wedding Budget Payment Planner does that, and the free Wedding Budget Starter is the place to begin.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a courthouse wedding cost?
The license and civil ceremony usually total about $30 to $250, per Paperlust's 2026 guide. With an outfit, rings, flowers, a photographer and lunch, our example comes to $1,356. Your county sets the fees.
Is a courthouse wedding cheaper than a small wedding?
Yes, by a wide margin in our examples: $1,356 for a courthouse wedding against $8,000 for a 50-guest small wedding. Most of the difference is food, venue and rentals for guests.
Can you have a reception after a courthouse wedding?
Yes. A dinner for about 20 in a restaurant's private room is a common middle option. Our example totals $4,306 including the courthouse costs.
Do you need witnesses for a courthouse wedding?
Many counties ask for one or two witnesses, but the rules vary. Check your county clerk's website before you book.
Can you have a courthouse wedding now and a party later?
Yes. Many couples marry at the courthouse and host a celebration months later, when they have saved for it. The legal date is the courthouse date.
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