Arkansas Covid Wedding Regulations

ONLINE WEDDING CEREMONIES

Online weddings are not allowed in Arkansas. All parties must be present to sign the license.

COVID RESTRICTIONS FOR COUPLES & MINISTERS

Arkansas is fully reopened and does not require masks indoors or proof of vaccination.

MARRIAGE LICENSES & THE PROBATE COURT

All or most county clerk's offices will be operating during normal business hours and at normal capacity.

Couples must apply for a marriage license in-person, at any Arkansas County Clerk's Office. Contact your local County Clerk's Office for more information, as scheduling an appointment may be necessary.

MINISTER REGISTRATION & THE PROBATE COURT

Ministers must register their credentials with an Arkansas County Clerk's Office in-person, before performing a marriage. This can be done at any County Clerk's Office in Arkansas, for more information we recommend contacting your County Clerk's Office.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

For more information, contact your County Clerk's Office. Additional information is available from the Pulaski Clerk's Office here:

Pulaski Clerk's Office

COVID-19, social distancing, travel bans, lockdowns… Many couples are being forced to downsize their wedding plans and for many guests, the only way to attend is with their computers and mobile phones.

If your guest list is shrinking to just the couple and officiant, or maybe just the couple, Arkansas marriage laws regulate who must be in attendance, and how the ceremony is conducted. Here are some options to help adapt your wedding plans in Arkansas to celebrate a COVID safe wedding.

Virtual Weddings vs. Livestream Ceremonies in Arkansas

For the sake of clarity, we differentiate virtual wedding ceremonies (or Zoom/Skype ceremonies) from livestream ceremonies by who is in attendance. If the officiant is officiating the vows from another place via video, then we call that a virtual or Zoom ceremony, since the people involved in the ceremony are interacting over whatever video platform is chosen.

However, if the couple and the officiant are present, but guests are watching remotely, we call that a livestream wedding since the ceremony itself is happening in one physical place. You can read more about what distinguishes each option here.

How can we celebrate a legally valid live streamed ceremony in Arkansas

You can livestream any activity or event, and it doesn't matter where you are in Arkansas, what you're doing or how many people are physically present with you. Some of the most popular platforms include Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts, Facebook Live, and Instagram Live.

As long as you have a tripod and a phone with a good camera on it, your guests will be able to participate remotely. Many of these platforms even allow guests to comment, chat, and interact in other ways.

We realize that this is not always ideal, but ultimately, if couples choose to move forward with scaled down weddings and smaller guests lists, these communications platforms let friends and family around the world know that they are still being thought of.

For folks planning on livestreaming their nuptials, Here's How to Livestream Your Wedding.