How much does a civil wedding cost in the US?

[NickD 202]

Internet sure helped with this followed with a phone call. Ha, getting married was easy, next step was not. Trying to find a USCIS approved doctor that would give us a reasonable appointment date and would not rob us to death. This was for that I-693 medical form.

[Avery Cates 1,141]

Internet sure helped with this followed with a phone call. Ha, getting married was easy, next step was not. Trying to find a USCIS approved doctor that would give us a reasonable appointment date and would not rob us to death. This was for that I-693 medical form.

Haha yeah good luck with that. Our trip to one was a nightmare. We had to travel about 40 miles each way, it was $60 for each of the 2 vaccinations she needed, and $100 just for the "privilege" of seeing the doctor, who did a cumulative amount of roughly 2 1/2 minutes worth of work. Oh and because it's "flu season" she had to get one of those as well. Of course, they didn't have it there, and started to say "well you can back another time..." before I near freaked out on them. We then had to walk across a busy highway, her on her sprained ankle, to a CVS nearby, and then back.

[NicholasNissel 2]

I see, thanks everyone for sharing your experiences.Is that the only fee we will have to pay?I looked up the amount that has to be paid in Craig Colorado is $30 that's for the marriage license.But I don't know if there's still anything we need to paby besides that $30.Is that everything you paid on your civil wedding?

[m & v 0]

It's usually around $100-$200 for both the marriage license & ceremony, also you can hire a witness for next to nothing if it is just you and your fiancé.

[NicholasNissel 2]

I see that's still a lot.We actualy just wanna sign the papers no need for ceremony we will do that on our wedding in the Phils.Do you think it's possible to just pay the fee and sign papers without ceremony?

[kitthekat 1,317]

I see, thanks everyone for sharing your experiences.Is that the only fee we will have to pay?I looked up the amount that has to be paid in Craig Colorado is $30 that's for the marriage license.But I don't know if there's still anything we need to paby besides that $30.Is that everything you paid on your civil wedding?

You will need to pay for an officiant (call up judges/courthouse to find out what their charges are) to preside over the wedding ceremony. (Ceremony here just refers to the signing of the papers). The ones I have called in the state I'm going to be married in charge anywhere from $20-$400. Choose one within your budget.

There is also a fee for your marriage certificate and any certified copies you may need (typically less than $20 per copy).

All of that can easily add up to $100-$200. That's pretty cheap for a wedding, all things considered.

[NickD 202]

Typically the same courthouse where you got your license from, but we elected to go to the next county over for a federal judge. We did bring my close friends for witnesses, they insisted on taking us to dinner afterwards. Also everyone got real excited about our marriage in the court house with workers there present. Kind of like making an oath before the judge.

Key interest for us was getting that very impressive certificate to please the USCIS, ceremony itself was very short, no organ, no long parades. Then the signing part, I was first, wife was second, followed by our two witnesses, then the judge with his seal.

I did bring my good digital camera along for photos, with these things can quickly look at the quality of the photos, no problem to find someone to click the photos. All in all was far less than a half an hour and walked out with six certificates.

Can even hire a minister or an attorney if you prefer, and even have your marriage on a roller coaster. But we were on a tight schedule and had to get our USCIS applications in. We dated for two years and were both quite sure we wanted to get married. Still glad we did. This was on a Tuesday, we got my entire family together at a nice restaurant for a reception the following Saturday. The did the same thing several months later in my wife's home country, after we were cleared from the USCIS.

[NicholasNissel 2]

Cool, seems like it was a fun civil wedding.I don't want anything fancy in the state though we just wanna get married the cheapest way cause we wanna save every penny for the grand wedding in the Phils.Thanks for the additional infos.

[NickD 202]

Niece that recently came here from Colombia, a devout Catholic had no choice but to have a civil ceremony due to K-1 requirements. But is planning on having a large church wedding at this coming August.

In regards to having a large wedding, under the misconception that the guests would be more than happy to pay for their own food and drinks. Plus give a donation to the newly married young couple. Rather then having them start off a new marriage deep in debt.

If the money is coming from the parents, far better to give that money to the kids for a down payment on a new home. But just my terrible way of thinking.

[NicholasNissel 2]

I'm not really Catholic but I know how it works it the Catholic religion.Well I guess it depends on where you are from, we can't let the guest pay for their foods etc, it's cause it's not how it works here in the Philippines hehe, well, we will have a grand looking wedding at the beach with all our relatives who can attend and close friends, so it will be expensive but I'm not gonna borrow money from anybody, we both will save money for it cause we don't like debts, debts is not a good start for newly weds.

[NickD 202]

Its the same here and the father of the bride is expected to pay for it. But if the father of the groom wants a huge wedding at 100 bucks a couple, time to do some negotiating. Then for a gift, only to get a five buck clock radio. Also, if held in a very expensive Milwaukee Hotel with a live band and free drinks, can also expect a lot of uninvited guests.

Speaking from experience. I could never go to a wedding without making sure a money gift is more than sufficient to cover the cost with a nice donation to the new couple. But not everyone is this way.

[NicholasNissel 2]

Oh that's different, here from where I come from the father of the groom is the one who should pay, or his entire family lol.But in our case, I will also contribute to my husband to be ofcourse, quiet frankly I am not expecting a good gift money donation from everyone cause we don't wanna be disappointed lol I just know in reality most people nowadays don't think of anything like that anymore.They just wanna attend to witness, join the happy moments of the events, eat, drink etc hahaha.I might be wrong, but that's just how I see it.Well I haven't been married yet so I guess I will have to see it myself when that time comes.

[NickD 202]

Ha, to be fair, no concerns for the meal, name tags were set at each table for each invited guest. And with no name tags, no tables, no chairs.

Its that open bar later is when they love to come in, the uninvited ones.

I wanted a nice reception to invite all my family and friends to meet my new wife and daughter and even insisted on no gifts. Just wanted my wife and daughter to meet their new family and friends. But we received lots of gifts anyway, must be reverse psychology, LOL.

[NicholasNissel 2]

lol yeah I guess, we will probably not accept gifts but just money if they want to offer, cause how are we gonna bring all the gifts on the plane back to USA lol. People here gives a lot of gifts too, and not invited is not invited they can'tcome for drinks if they did they they will have to pay for what they consumed cause we don't know them at all and it should be private for close friends and family only, no gate crashes lol.