One of the things I love most about photographing at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau is the people watching. On any given morning, there are dozens of couples getting married in the same building, on the same day, completely absorbed in their own version of the same moment. People in formal gowns. People in jeans. People who flew in from another country. People who live around the corner. Every language, every culture, every reason a person decides today is the day.
There is nowhere else quite like it. And the ceremonies themselves, brief, genuine, and completely stripped of anything not essential, produce some of my favorite photographs of any wedding I cover.
Here is everything you need to know to plan one.
The Marriage License
You need a New York State marriage license before your ceremony can happen. The license costs $35 and requires a valid photo ID from both partners. You can apply in person at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau at 141 Worth Street in Lower Manhattan, or online through Project Cupid if you are already in New York State.
There is a mandatory 24-hour waiting period between the issuance of the license and the ceremony. Plan for this. Do not arrive expecting to get your license and get married in the same visit. The license is valid for 60 days once issued, so do not apply too far in advance either.
The Ceremony Appointment
The ceremony itself is a separate appointment from the license. Book it online through the NYC City Clerk’s website. The fee for a ceremony performed by the City Clerk’s Office is $25. For an additional $60, you can be legally married in New York City. That is not a typo.
The ceremony is brief. Under five minutes, typically. An officiant is provided — a judge, justice of the peace, or notary — and these are people who perform ceremonies every day and know exactly how to make a short civil ceremony feel real and meaningful. It will not feel impersonal unless you bring that energy yourself.
Courthouse ceremonies are civil and not religiously affiliated. If religious elements are important to your ceremony, this may not be the right format for you.
What to Bring
Your marriage license. Valid photo ID for both partners. At least one witness — you are required to have one, and you can bring a small group of close family and friends, though the ceremony room is intimate, so plan accordingly. Your rings if you are exchanging them. Whatever you want to wear.
On that last point: wear whatever makes you feel like yourself on one of the most significant days of your life. I have photographed courthouse weddings in which one partner wore a full cathedral-length gown and the other a beautifully tailored suit. I have photographed courthouse weddings in jeans and leather jackets. Both were exactly right for the couples involved. This is your wedding. Dress for it the way you actually are.
What the Day Can Look Like
The ceremony itself is the legal anchor of the day, not the whole day. Most couples I photograph at the Marriage Bureau treat it as the beginning of something, not the entirety of it.
After the ceremony, the city is yours. The City Hall subway station is a few steps away and one of my favorite portrait locations in New York — the tiled arches, the curved platforms, the particular quality of light underground. Central Park is a short cab ride. The Brooklyn Bridge, DUMBO, the West Village: all of it is available to you as your backdrop.
For the celebration: whatever makes the day feel like yours. A Michelin-starred dinner for two. Champagne with twenty friends in a private room at a favorite bar. Pizza on someone’s roof. A hotel room, room service, and the rest of the day entirely to yourselves. I have seen all of these, and none of them is the wrong answer.
Why Hire a Photographer
Because the day moves fast and the moments are real. The signing of the license. The few minutes before the ceremony, when you are waiting, and it is all about to happen. The first seconds outside as a married couple, standing on Worth Street with the whole city around you. These go by quickly, and they are worth having.
A courthouse wedding is not a lesser wedding that deserves less documentation. It is a wedding that has stripped away everything except what matters. That is exactly the kind of day that produces photographs I am proud of.
Frequently Asked Questions: NYC Courthouse Weddings
Where do you get married at the NYC courthouse? The Manhattan Marriage Bureau is located at 141 Worth Street in Lower Manhattan. That’s where both the marriage license and the ceremony itself happen. You need a separate appointment for each one to obtain the license and one for the ceremony itself, which cannot happen until at least 24 hours after the license is issued.
How much does an NYC courthouse wedding cost? The marriage license costs $35. The ceremony itself is an additional $25 if performed at the Marriage Bureau. It is genuinely one of the most affordable weddings possible in New York City — which is part of the appeal.
How long does an NYC courthouse wedding ceremony take? The ceremony itself is very brief — typically under five minutes. The total time at the Marriage Bureau depends on your appointment and their current workload, but plan for an hour from arrival to departure to be safe.
Can you bring guests to an NYC courthouse wedding? Yes — you’re allowed a limited number of guests in the ceremony room. The space is small, so it’s best suited to a handful of close family and friends rather than a crowd. Many couples use the courthouse as the legal ceremony and then celebrate separately with a larger group elsewhere.
Do you need a photographer for a courthouse wedding? You don’t need one — but having one completely transforms the day. The moments before and after the ceremony, the signing of the license, the first moments outside as a married couple — those go by fast, and they’re worth having on film. I’ve photographed courthouse weddings that have led to some of my favorite images, precisely because the day is so stripped-down and real.
What should we do after our courthouse wedding? Whatever makes the day feel like yours. I’ve seen couples go straight to a Michelin-starred dinner, rent out a private room at a favorite bar, have pizza with twenty friends, or disappear to a hotel for the rest of the day. The city is your backdrop — use it. If you want portrait time built into the day, the City Hall subway station, just steps from the Marriage Bureau, is one of my favorite post-ceremony photo locations.
Can you help us plan the photography for our courthouse wedding day? Yes — reach out here and tell me your date and what you’re thinking for after the ceremony. We’ll figure out a plan that makes the day feel complete.
NYC Courthouse Wedding
An NYC courthouse wedding is the perfect alternative for an engaged couple seeking a quick, easy way to commit to one another without the stress of planning an elaborate event for a large guest list. It’s a ceremony about the two of you, your love for one another, and the life you are creating together as a married couple.
Finding your dream wedding venue in New York can be such a challenge! Primarily because there are so many incredibly beautiful and unique locations across the city. So if the courthouse doesn’t check all your boxes, check out more in the blog links below! But before you go, feel free to reach out! I’d love to chat about venues and what your dream wedding photos look like!
