Knoxville, Tennessee Wedding Guide
Become a Wedding Officiant in Knoxville as an AMM Ordained Minister. Learn more about getting ordained in Tennessee, officiant training, wedding ceremony planning, and more.
Become a Wedding Officiant in Knoxville as an AMM Ordained Minister. Learn more about getting ordained in Tennessee, officiant training, wedding ceremony planning, and more.
So, you’re getting hitched in Knoxville! Or, perhaps you’ve been asked to officiate a wedding for some of your friends. Either way, you’ve come to the right place. Here in our guide, we have everything you need to know about how to get legally married in the Heart of the Valley, as well as how to get ordained so that the couple can be united in holy matrimony by their officiant-of-choice.
Don’t be intimidated -- the process is easier than you might think! We’ll break it all down for you in our short guide, so that you can focus on the fun stuff, like what kind of venue you want to host your shindig at. (More on that, later!)
Let’s start with the ordainment process. Despite any misinformation you might read online, Internet ministers can legally perform marriages in Tennessee (see our FAQ section for more information on this.)
You can get ordained with AMM to fall within the minister category. The process is free and takes just a few minutes! Once you’re registered with us, you’re all set to start officiating weddings in Tennessee.
Now that the easy part is out of the way, 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.
When it comes time to completing the marriage license, it’s the couple’s responsibility to obtain it from one of the county clerk’s offices, but just be sure to double check that they have it with them before the you perform the ceremony. After the “I do’s,” you should help them complete and notarize it correctly.
Once you have performed the ceremony and notarized the marriage license, either the couple or the officiant may return the completed marriage license to the Old Courthouse, or whichever clerk’s office they retrieved it from. This must be done within seven business days of the ceremony. If you want to be a star officiant, offer to take care of this for the couple so that they can enjoy their honeymoon.
For The
Couple
Now, let’s turn our attention to the couple’s responsibilities! First things first: complete the online marriage license application online here. Your and your partner’s info will be saved into the county’s database and you can go to any one of its locations to retrieve your actual marriage license. (The clerk’s office in Knoxville is the Old Courthouse, located at 300 Main Avenue, downtown.)
When you go, just remember to bring:
Applicants who have completed a premarital preparation course within a year prior to the date of applying for the license will have the fee reduced to $37.50.
Once you have been issued your marriage license, you can get married anytime within the next 30 days, but remember: once the ceremony has been performed, the deadline to turn it back over to the county clerk’s office for recording is seven business days.
Issuance Office: 300 Main Avenue, Knoxville
Fee: $97.50
Waiting Period: None
Expiration: 30 days
Return: Within 7 days of the ceremony
For The Couple
& Officiant
When it comes to choosing your wedding date, it’s a good idea to check some local events calendars before committing to a venue. Watch out for the Knox Shamrock Fest, the Dollywood Festivals, the Rossini Festival, and the various other music festivals that occur throughout the year -- especially if you’re choosing a venue in the downtown area, where most of the events take place.
Speaking of venues, you’ll find that Knoxville has no shortage of country-style spots for you to have a cowboy style soiree. But if you’re looking for something a little bit outside of the norm, you might want to check out the Lighthouse, the Press Room, or if you want to get married on the water, the Tennessee Riverboat Company. If you want to get really wild, you can even get married at the historic Southern Railway Station!
Knoxville isn’t known for having great public transit. There is a bus system, which is convenient for commuters, but if you’re coming in from out of town for a wedding, you’re better off to either rent a car or have Lyft and/or Uber downloaded so that you can get around town quickly. Of course, if you want to ride in style on your wedding day, there are plenty of highly-rated limo services available in the city. If there’s ever a time to go all out, it’s your wedding day!
In general, you’ll find that Knoxville has four moderate seasons, but because it is located in a valley, the weather can be a little fickle. Some days are sunny and warm, other days are rainy and chilly. The spring is especially unpredictable; sometimes the temperatures rise into the 80s, while the next day, they may have dipped down into the 40s. In the summer, most days are in the mid-80s, but it’s not uncommon to have days all the way up in the 90s -- and almost all summer, there is heavy humidity. The best time for a wedding in Knoxville is late April through June and September through October, when the weather is mild and pleasant.
For The Couple
& Officiant
The short answer is yes. Unfortunately, there are a few clerks that are giving bad information on the state of marriage laws in TN. Currently, all online ordained ministers are still authorized to solemnize marriages. The new law, which is being challenged in court, is not in effect by order of U.S. District Judge Crenshaw. The Order further states that the new law will not go into effect if not struck down until conclusion of the trial which has yet to be scheduled. While there have been some who raise the issue of a marriage being later invalidated due to the fact that an online ordained minister solemnized the ceremony, there is no legal basis for that to occur in light of the new law not being in effect.
No. The Tennessee Government does not license, register, or certify ministers or wedding officiants, so officiant registration is not required in Tennessee.
The premarital education course is not a requirement for couples, but it will save you $60 if you choose to do it. You can take from a variety of providers, like this one. If you’re not sure if the course is legitimate, call the county clerk’s office and double check with them. After completing the course, make sure you print off this certificate of completion, have the instructor sign it, and bring it with you when you go to the county clerk’s office to apply for and purchase your marriage license.
Yes, the County Clerk’s staff can perform marriage ceremonies. However, the Old Courthouse is the only location where a ceremony may be performed and they are by appointment only.
Yes, once you have gone to the clerk’s office and obtained your marriage license, you can get married on the same day, or anytime in the next 30 days. After one month, the marriage license expires and you will have to purchase a new one.
Either member of the couple or the officiant can return the marriage license to the county clerk’s office in which it was obtained after the wedding. But make sure to do so within seven business days of the ceremony.
You may request a copy online with a credit card for $9.02 or drop by the county clerk’s office in person and pick it up for $5.50.
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