Raleigh Courthouse Weddings
Are you thinking of getting married at the Raleigh Courthouse (AKA the Wake County Justice Center? If so, I hope this guide helps - please feel free to reach out to me with any questions!
The Raleigh courthouse (technically the Wake County Justice Center) is an awesome place to get married. I photograph Raleigh courthouse weddings frequently, and each time feels fresh, unique, special, and relaxed (if you’d like to view my full elopement portfolio, you can click here).
The Wake County Justice Center, where Raleigh courthouse weddings take place, is absolutely beautiful - the hallway outside the court is on the 9th floor, with giant windows overlooking the downtown Raleigh skyline. It's a beautiful spot for a few candid photos of you and your loved ones before your courthouse wedding.
The Wake County Justice Center itself has a beautiful room for your wedding or elopement - this is not just a sterile governmental office. The deep colored wood walls and benches make for great photographs, and there is plenty of room for your guests to join the proceedings.
If you're thinking of getting married at the Raleigh courthouse, you'll first call the register of deeds at 919-245-2700 to discuss the requirements for getting a marriage license. You can also visit the register of deeds website for more information, here: https://www.wakegov.com/departments-government/register-deeds
The Wake County Justice Center accepts walk-ins for wedding appointments Monday-Friday in the mornings and afternoons, with a short break for lunch. Walk-ins are generally accepted from 930-12 and 130-4. I do encourage you to double check with the Wake County Justice Center to be certain!
Ceremonies are typically short, 5-10 minutes, and I’ve rarely had to wait longer than 10-15 minutes for an available magistrate.
One of the best reasons to get married at the Raleigh courthouse is the abundance of photo opportunities nearby. While the building itself is beautiful, Nash Square is just across the street, and provides a beautiful, shaded, and green space for family and couples photos. A short walk around the nearby streets provide a number of awesome portrait opportunities - each time I photograph a couple in this area, I seem to find new spaces where we can make cool photos.
How to Get Married at the Raleigh Courthouse:
Step 1: Apply for your marriage license at the Register of Deeds (the same building as the Wake County Justice Center). You may do this in advance. You may also do it in the same day as your ceremony, but please allow at LEAST 30 extra minutes.
Step 2: Choose your ceremony date and time. Ceremonies take place Monday-Friday 930-12 and 130-4. I recommend that we either go at 930 when the ceremonies begin, or no later than 3 just in case there is a line.
Step 3: We’ll meet in the lobby and I’ll show you where you pay the $60 ceremony fee at the cashier’s office on the second floor.
Step 4: We’ll visit the 9th floor to see the magistrate for the ceremony, and then we’ll celebrate!
Raleigh Courthouse Wedding Alternative
If you and your partner like the idea of a Raleigh courthouse wedding, but picture having your ceremony elsewhere, my friends at Oak City Ceremonies offer a sweet and legal courthouse wedding alternative. Oak City Ceremonies offers short wedding ceremonies at Lake Lynn or Leesville Community Park (both in Raleigh) - the cost at the time of this writing is $60, which is the same fee you would pay at the courthouse. Rebecca & Emily are some of the best humans around, you won’t regret booking them for your ceremony!
I of course would still love to photograph your celebration, and would love to chat with you about it!
Rebecca of Oak City Ceremonies officiating a courthouse alternative wedding at Lake Crabtree in Raleigh.
Raleigh Courthouse Wedding Pricing
I believe that wedding photography should be accessible for all couples, so I keep my Raleigh courthouse wedding pricing affordable. I ask $750 for up to 2 hours (I find that most Raleigh courthouse weddings take approximately 90ish minutes including ceremony, family portraits, and couple portraits). Please note that this pricing is for WEEKDAYS only. If you are eloping on the weekend, please contact me for a custom quote.
If you’d like portraits in multiple locations, or if you’re potentially having a small reception like a lunch or brunch, I’m happy to offer you a custom quote.
If a stress-free wedding at the Wake County Courthouse in downtown Raleigh sounds like your speed, I'd love to chat with you about the process, and would love to be your photographer!