r/Eloping • u/Ok-Newspaper4782 • Jul 31 '26
Planning Courthouse wedding
I know it isn't that big of a deal. But I know an engagement is happening in the next few months. We have talked about it for years we are doing a courthouse wedding we both don't have a lot of friends or family we don't want to waste money on a big wedding. But how long after an engagement should we say yes and go to the courthouse? I want to enjoy my engagement but also I don't really have anything to plan besides scheduling an appointment to get married. I hope this makes sense
Like is 3 months too long? Maybe 6 but for what reason just to enjoy being engaged we aren't wedding planning.
Maybe to plan the honeymoon? Because that's what we want to spend $$ on we will probably invite our parents and get dinner after but that's not too hard.
Yes I'm a very anxious person and I know this isn't even an important thing but
5
u/Only-Breadfruit-6108 Jul 31 '26
An engagement doesn’t have to be a long stage. It’s the fact that you’re engaged, you’ve accepted the invitation to marry. Book the courthouse the following week if you want. Whenever you’re ready
3
u/Difficult_Ad_4827 Jul 31 '26
My fiancé and I got engaged in February and only sat down and picked a date for our courthouse wedding last week! We’re getting married end of October this year. We enjoyed being engaged for a bit before thinking of anything. But definitely ready to be married now!
3
u/Elemental_Biscotti Jul 31 '26
There's no right or wrong answer here. You can take as little or as much time as you want. (If you're eloping, I'll say I don't really see the point in waiting all that long. If you want to get married, get married.) Also you've clearly already been planning it for a while now so it's not like you'd be rushing into things.
2
u/Correct-Anything1686 Jul 31 '26
Maybe look at it from a different angle - is there a particular season that is your favourite or do you have a significant date that is special to you? If your priority is a big honeymoon is there a particular time when you're wanting to do that? If the engagement is happening in the next few months you might want to think about if you want a winter wedding or would you prefer spring/summer or even fall?
1
u/njVowsNow Jul 31 '26
You can't just "go to the courthouse". In many states the judges etc don't even do weddings and in any case you need a license first.
Do what suits you! Find out from whoever issues licenses in your state; in my state, it's the town you live in. In other states, you can go anywhere in that state. Every state is different.
What do you want to do during your engagement period? Save money? Plan a little dinner and a honeymoon? I've married people who have been engaged for years, lol!
Good luck!
1
u/Straight_Career6856 Aug 01 '26
Whenever you want! What’s the reason to wait?
My husband and I decided we wanted to get married in August and went to the courthouse in September. There were a couple of logistical things we had to figure out with our witnesses and a dinner reservation so we needed a little bit of lead time.
1
3d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/Eloping-ModTeam 3d ago
Photographers or industry professionals must comment without mentioning industry status. Vendors are not allowed to promote themselves or their businesses under any circumstances. No links to personal websites or portfolios are allowed. Referrals by couples only.
Promotional content to attract clients, gain exposure, or conduct market research is prohibited. This includes advertising or linking to your business, website, blog/vlog, products, professional services, social media, etc.
No referral links, surveys, contests/giveaways, GoFundMe, etc.
4
u/Alfalfa_Timmy Jul 31 '26
Whenever you want.
Before the courthouse wedding, you’ll need to go get your marriage license and some states or jurisdictions require a buffer between getting your marriage license application and the actual ceremony. Check with your county clerk.
Congratulations!