Can’t Get Married at the Courthouse? How to Elope if Yours Doesn’t Do Weddings

Many local courthouses and city halls have stopped offering civil marriage ceremonies in recent years because of staffing shortages, limited space, changes in marriage laws, and other factors. So what do you do if you want to elope, but discover you can’t get married at the courthouse? 

Related: Why are Municipal Governments Cancelling Courthouse Weddings?

You may be pleasantly surprised to learn that there are lots of fun ways to elope that don't involve standing in front of a judge surrounded by strangers.

Below, we talk about the three most common ways to elope. These suggestions are simple, affordable, and fast. They make eloping so straightforward, that you might look back at this sudden change of plans as the best thing that could have happened to your wedding day. 

Related: How to Elope: The Complete Elopement Checklist

3 Easy Ways to Elope – NOT at a Courthouse

1. Have a Friend Get Ordained to Marry You & Sign Your Marriage License

This option is obviously the most personal choice on our list! Having a friend officiate your wedding is an intimate and simple way to elope. Friends and relatives can get ordained online with a reputable church like American Marriage Ministries (AMM), which gives them the authority to perform weddings and elopements across the U.S. 

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Getting ordained online with AMM is free and only takes a minute. AMM also provides free wedding and elopement scripts to read from, and step-by-step instructions for signing the marriage license.

• Get Ordained Here
• Free Wedding & Elopement Scripts for Officiants
• Officiant Training for Your First Wedding Ceremony
• Instructions for Completing the Marriage License for Officiants

Once you've found a friend to officiate, choose a location for your elopement ceremony: your living room, a cafe, a local park, in front of your favorite museum or movie theater, a ferry, or even the steps of the courthouse. Then, you and your friend-officiant can work together on the perfect wedding script, wedding vows, and overall tone for your elopement.

Make sure you bring one or two people to witness the ceremony (if required), say "I do" when your friend asks if you want to get married, and sign the marriage license. Easy! 

Just a heads up: Your friend-officiant might need to give proof of their ordination to the local clerk’s office before they perform your elopement ceremony, but most states don’t require this extra step. See if your state requires new ministers to register before the ceremony: Weddings by State

Want the courthouse experience without the government grey? Ask your friend to use this Courthouse Style Wedding Ceremony Script from AMM.

2. Hire a Professional Wedding Officiant

If you don’t want a friend or relative to officiate your ceremony – maybe you're getting married in secret or want to avoid some family drama – you can hire a professional wedding officiant instead.

Many professional officiants are willing to travel to your home to perform a quick elopement ceremony. Others have their own office where you can meet to say "I do" and sign the marriage license. Some professional officiants can help you plan a simple “just us” elopement ceremony, and marry you in any meaningful setting you choose – in front of a favorite tree or statue, on your favorite beach, or outside the local movie theater where you had your first date.

Find a professional wedding officiant in your area with an online search, ask friends and relatives for a recommendation, or check for business cards and flyers posted at your local community center, library, or coffee shop. 

Before you reach out to a professional officiant, take some time to decide how many guests you want to invite – if any – besides the necessary witnesses. Inviting even one or two extra guests can affect where you're allowed to elope (and if you need a permit), as well as the officiant’s total fee.

3. Have a Notary Marry You (Only an Option in Some States)

The third way to elope is by having a notary marry you, but only a few states allow notaries to perform elopement ceremonies and sign a marriage license. 

At the time of writing, states where notaries can marry you include: 

Florida, Montana, Maine (sometimes), Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama (where marriage documents must be notarized but no ceremony is required).

Hiring a notary to elope is very similar to hiring a professional wedding officiant, although many notaries only offer "license signing ceremonies" or "sign and go ceremonies." Signing ceremonies usually take place seated around a table in an office, home, or public space. The notary will lead you through a basic wedding script, you'll say "I do," and the notary will sign your marriage license. Simple! 

Depending on your notary’s policies, you may or may not be able to exchange personal marriage vows, and guests may or may not be allowed to attend (other than required witnesses).

Want More Info on Eloping Without a Courthouse?

• Fun Alternatives to a Courthouse Wedding (No Hassle Marriage Ceremony)
• What Does It Mean to Elope & Is It Right for You?
• Courthouse Wedding vs Sign and Go Wedding: Comparing the Benefits
• What is a Civil Marriage Ceremony? (Plus How to Find a Non-Religious Wedding Officiant)
• Who Can Be a Witness for a Wedding & How Do You Choose?
• Quick & Simple Civil Wedding Ceremony Script
• How to Get Married Without a Wedding Ceremony
• Our Favorite Ways to Get Married Without a Wedding Ceremony

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