Courthouse Cost Breakdown (2027)

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Everything starts with the license application, typically the first money you spend — usually in the $25 to $115 range in many US counties, with comparable modest fees in the UK (via notice) and Canada (via the licence). It is typically paid in person when you apply, and some offices add a small card surcharge. There is no way around this line, and happily it is one of the smallest.

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The ceremony fee pays for the officiant’s time and the legal act itself — typically from free to around $150 depending on the office, room, and day of the week. In UK register offices and Canadian municipal ceremonies it is bundled into published local fee schedules. Ask what it includes: some fees cover the standard room and one certificate copy, others are officiant-only.

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A few offices and venues charge small booking, appointment, or administrative fees on top of the headline prices — usually modest, occasionally none at all. They are rarely advertised, which is exactly why you ask. One question at booking (‘what is the full total, including every fee?’) protects the whole budget.

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Each certified copy typically costs from a few dollars to about $25, and you will need several in the first year: passport, license, insurance, bank, employer records. Buying four or five up front usually costs less than two later reorder rounds with postage. This is the highest-value small line in the entire breakdown.

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If a name change is part of the plan, budget a modest tail of fees: replacement ID, passport reissue, and updated documents typically range from a few dollars to around a hundred-plus for a passport depending on the country. None of it is due on the wedding day, but knowing it is coming keeps the post-wedding months calm.

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Witnesses cost nothing in fees — they need only be eligible adults (the exact rules differ by place) who can attend and sign. If you truly have nobody, some offices can arrange staff witnesses, occasionally for a small fee. Either way this line stays at or near zero, the happiest number in the breakdown.

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Attire is typically the largest single purchase: new outfits for the couple usually run from about $150 to $1,000+, and alterations commonly add $30–$150 per garment. The alteration line is the one that ambushes people — a dress that fits perfectly is worth more than a pricier one that does not, so always budget tailoring alongside the ticket price.

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Shoes, jewelry, a clutch, cufflinks, a tie — each item is small, and together they commonly add $50 to $300 to the attire total. Courthouse steps and city walking punish brand-new shoes, so comfort is a budget item too: blister care is free, but a same-day replacement pair is not. Raid your own closet first; accessories are the easiest place to borrow beautifully.

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Plain bands typically start under $100 each in sterling silver or tungsten and climb through gold and platinum into the hundreds or thousands with stones. Engraving is usually $20–$50 per ring and adds disproportionate meaning. Because rings are worn daily for life, most couples treat this as the one line where ‘a bit more’ is always justified.

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A florist-made posy bouquet typically runs $40–$120, a boutonniere $10–$25, and a bunch of loose stems for the table $15–$40 — or far less from a market stall the morning of. At courthouse scale, flowers are a garnish, not a production, and the whole line usually stays under $150 even done nicely.

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Photography is priced by hours: short courthouse coverage of two to three hours typically ranges from a few hundred dollars to about $1,500 depending on city and experience, usually including edited digital files. Check whether a small album, print credit, or travel is included before comparing quotes — the cheapest headline is not always the cheapest total.

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A professional videographer for a short day typically costs several hundred dollars and up; a tripod, a phone, and one trusted guest costs almost nothing and captures the vows and toasts perfectly well. Many courthouses restrict filming inside, so check the rules before paying anyone. For most couples, audio matters more than cinematic video — put the phone close and press record.

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Professional hair and makeup is really two lines: a trial, typically $50–$150, and the day-of service, typically $75–$250 per person. DIY removes both but may add a few product purchases. At courthouse scale, a salon blowout plus your own makeup is the value sweet spot many couples land on.

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The meal is arithmetic, not mystery: a per-person cost (modest for a casual lunch, several times higher for a private-room dinner) multiplied by your guest count, plus tax and tip. For twelve guests the swing between a café lunch and a steakhouse room can be tenfold. Decide the per-person figure first, then let it set the guest list — never the reverse.

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A sparkling cider toast for twenty typically costs less than one entrée: a few dollars a bottle, plus sparkling juices, Italian soda syrups, and coffee for the table. Restaurants may charge per mocktail if ordered individually, so ask about pitchers or a drinks package for the group. Total damage for the entire drinks line is commonly $20–$80.

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A single-tier celebration cake typically runs $40–$150 from a bakery, with delivery and setup sometimes adding $20–$50 — or nothing if you collect it yourselves. Serving size math is generous at weddings: a cake ‘for twenty’ easily serves a courthouse group of fourteen with leftovers for the next morning, which is the correct outcome.

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Decor at a courthouse celebration is a garnish line: battery candles, a welcome sign, ribbon for chairs, and table linens if your venue lacks them — typically $0–$150 all-in. The courthouse gives you architecture; the restaurant gives you a set room. Anything beyond one or two beautiful touches is spending that guests will never notice.

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Printed announcements typically cost $1–$4 each in small runs, and postage often rivals the printing cost — a detail first-time mailers miss. A list of fifty with printing and stamps commonly totals $100–$300. Digital announcements are free and instant; many couples print only for family elders and send photos digitally to everyone else.

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Getting there costs a little: parking near a downtown courthouse typically runs a few dollars to $25+, a rideshare for the couple a similar amount each way, and a specialty car, if you fancy one, a few hundred by the hour. The line is small but day-critical — nobody’s budget survives being late, so spend what punctuality costs.

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A wedding-night hotel room typically costs $120–$400 depending on city and class — the most skippable line in the breakdown and, for many couples, the most enjoyed. It doubles as a getting-ready location and a quiet landing pad. Booking the hotel where your dinner is held removes transport costs between the two.

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Tips are the invisible line: restaurant service (often 18–22 percent on the meal in the US), photographer, hair stylist, and delivery drivers typically add 10–15 percent to the day’s service costs overall. Some restaurant private rooms add a service charge automatically — ask, so you do not tip twice on the same bill.

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Every wedding has a sediment layer of small fees: card surcharges at government counters, a park permit if your photos or picnic need one (typically $0–$100 where charged), extra certificate copies, and postage. Individually trivial, together they commonly add $25–$150. Listing them as one ‘small print’ line keeps them from leaking all over the budget.

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The contingency is a line item, not a hope: set aside about 10 percent of your total for the taxi, the replacement flowers, the extra guest who becomes a plus-one. On a $1,000 budget that is $100 of pure calm. Couples who skip this line do not save the money — they just meet the surprises unprepared.

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A lean sample (typical US figures): license and ceremony around $100, two certified copies $30, simple bands $120, outfits mostly owned with $150 of new pieces, market flowers $35, a friend photographing for $200, lunch for eight around $350, a bakery cake $55, sparkling cider $15, transport and parking $30, tips $70, contingency $100 — a complete, joyful day in the region of $1,250, and leaner versions go lower still.

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A splurge sample (typical US figures): legal fees and copies around $200, new outfits with tailoring $900, gold bands $800, professional hair and makeup $350, a florist bouquet set $140, three hours of photography $1,200, a private-room dinner for twenty around $2,400, cake and delivery $180, hotel night $300, announcements $200, transport $150, tips and service $500, contingency $400 — roughly $7,700 for a day that still costs a fraction of a traditional wedding.