How to Officiate a Wedding in Las Cruces, New Mexico

So, you’re getting married in beautiful Las Cruces! Or perhaps you were asked to officiate a wedding ceremony. First of all, congratulations! We can’t imagine a better place to plan a dreamy southwest-themed wedding than this peaceful desert oasis.

In our guide, we’ll break down how to get married in New Mexico, as well as how to legally officiate a wedding in the state. Later on, we also have some extra tips to ensure your wedding in the Land of Enchantment turns out as enchanting as possible. But before we get to the fun stuff, let’s get the legal to-do’s out of the way, starting with your officiant.

STEP 1: Get ordained with American Marriage Ministries

Let’s start with the ordainment process. In New Mexico, any clergyperson that has been ordained can perform wedding ceremonies. If you’ve been asked to perform a wedding ceremony, but you don’t have any ministerial credentials, you can get ordained with AMM for free in just a few minutes!

Once you’re registered, you can legally perform weddings in the state -- there is no other kind of minister registration required. Now the real work begins: preparing for the ceremony!

STEP 2: Prepare for the Ceremony in Doña Ana County

We can help you prepare for the wedding ceremony itself. Being asked to officiate a ceremony is an honor, but can feel like a lot of pressure. You will appreciate our wedding training pages, which are a library of information to help you prepare for your first ceremony and ensure that it goes smoothly. 

Here you can find everything from sample wedding ceremony scripts, to brainstorming prompts, tips for preparation, and more.

STEP 3: Officiate the Wedding and Complete the Marriage License

On the big day, you have two jobs. First and foremost, to perform the ceremony itself, but also to help the couple complete and notarize the marriage license. It is their responsibility to obtain it from the county clerk’s office prior to the day of the wedding. Give them a call a few days ahead of time to make sure they have picked it up.

After the ceremony, it is your job as the officiant to return the completed marriage license application to the Doña Ana County Clerk’s Office within 90 days of the actual ceremony. Best not to save this final task until the last minute because if you miss the deadline, the couple may have to reapply for a marriage license or be subject to late fees.

First things first! Visit the Doña Ana County website to print off your marriage license application. Complete it with your partner. Then, you and your partner can head down to the county clerk’s office at  845 N. Motel Blvd to obtain your actual marriage license.

When you go, just remember to bring:

• Completed marriage license application form
• $25 marriage application fee
• A valid form of government-issued ID (passport, driver’s license, etc.)

If you bring all of your required documents, they’ll hand you your marriage license on the spot and you can even get married the same day! (After the ceremony, your officiant will be responsible for returning the completed and notarized copy back to the county clerk’s office.)

Weather in Mesilla Valley

Las Cruces has 320 days of sunshine per year, but the temperature varies greatly depending on the season. The sweet spots of Las Cruces’ best weather usually fall between March and April and between September and November, when the temperature is not too hot, but still pleasantly warm, and you don’t have to worry about getting caught in a heavy downpour, which are normal occurrences in summer afternoons in the region.

If you are dead set on a summer wedding date, you will definitely want to go for an indoor venue with air conditioning (but if you’re from the area, you don’t have to tell you that.) The most popular wedding season in New Mexico is fall, so if you’re trying to score a good deal on a venue, note that this is when vendors will be charging their highest rates.

Wedding Venues

After you narrow the season of your wedding, it’s time to inquire with venues about their availability. Las Cruces may be small, but its array of options might surprise you.

In the downtown area, there’s the Blue Door Venue, which has a courtyard and an indoor reception area; Rio Grande Vineyard & Winery, with its lush, green vineyard fields and backdrop of the Organ Mountains; and the Double Eagle, a perfect venue for a big party that offers its own catering.

But if you want to take advantage of the natural beauty of Mesilla Valley, have your ceremony in the great outdoors! You can say your “I dos” in its rustic woodlands of Mesilla Valley State Park or for even more seclusion, you can even get hitched in the otherworldly Dripping Springs Natural Area.

If you are looking for something a little less rustic and a little more refined -- but you still like the idea of an outdoor wedding -- the Red Hawk Golf Club provides an absolutely picturesque setting for your big day out on the pristine green.