A courthouse-style wedding in Bucks County means a civil ceremony performed by a magisterial district judge or a mayor. You'll need the standard $85 marriage license and the three-day waiting period. Guest capacity is small, ceremonies happen during business hours, and — importantly — the county does not schedule your ceremony for you.
How does a courthouse wedding work in Bucks County?
You get your license from the Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court, then separately arrange a civil ceremony with an official who performs them.
- Apply for your license online through the county portal, or in person in Doylestown or Levittown. $85.
- Attend the virtual meeting — both of you, with photo ID, to sign.
- Wait three days.
- Arrange the ceremony separately.
- Show up with your license and witnesses.
Step four is where people get stuck. The office that issues your license does not book your wedding. It's a common assumption and it's wrong.
Bucks County publishes contact routes for civil officials who can perform marriages — a list of county mayors, and a directory of magisterial district courts. Not all magisterial district judges perform marriages. You call individual offices to find one who does and who's available on your date.
The county also lists an Outside Office Appearance fee of $175, which applies when a county official appears outside the office. Ask what applies to your situation when you arrange it.
What does it cost?
$85 for the license. Beyond that, it depends on who performs the ceremony — individual judges and mayors set their own practice, and some charge a fee or accept a donation.
Budget $85 to roughly $300 all-in for the legal portion. That's the least expensive route to being married in Pennsylvania, apart from a self-uniting license used somewhere you already have access to.
How many guests can come?
Very few. Civil ceremonies at courthouses and district court offices typically accommodate the couple, witnesses, and a small handful of others — often under ten, sometimes only the people who need to sign.
This is the constraint that sends most couples elsewhere. If you want your parents, your siblings, and a couple of friends there, a district court office usually can't hold them, and the setting isn't built for standing around afterward.
Confirm the limit when you schedule. It varies by location and by who's officiating.
When is a courthouse wedding the right choice?
It's a genuinely good option when:
- You want to be legally married and nothing more
- You're marrying for practical reasons — insurance, immigration, a deployment, a timeline
- You're planning a bigger celebration later and want the legal part done
- You want to spend as close to nothing as possible
- Two witnesses is exactly the audience you want
It works less well when:
- You want more than a handful of people present
- You want photos in a setting you'd want to look at again
- You want to choose your date rather than take what's available
- You want a weekend or an evening
- You want the day to feel like an occasion rather than an errand
There's no wrong answer. Plenty of couples marry this way and are entirely happy. But many default to it believing the only alternative is a $45,000 wedding — and that hasn't been true for a while.
What are the alternatives in Bucks County?
The gap between a courthouse ceremony and a full wedding used to be enormous. It isn't now.
Wedding chapels. Several operate in and around Bucks County, mostly in converted commercial spaces. Entry pricing typically starts around $400 to $500 for a short ceremony with an officiant and a room. Check what's actually included — parking, getting-ready space, and food frequently aren't.
Weekday ceremonies at wedding venues. A growing number of venues, including ours, open otherwise-empty weekday mornings for small ceremonies at a fraction of weekend pricing. Real grounds, real photos, and usually somewhere to eat afterward.
Restaurant private dining. For 10 to 20 people, a private room plus a self-uniting license can be a complete wedding for roughly the cost of lunch.
Self-uniting anywhere you like. A park, a family property, a beach in the Poconos. With a self-uniting license, the license is the only legal requirement — you don't need a judge, a chapel, or a venue.
That last option deserves more attention than it gets. What most couples like about a courthouse wedding is the simplicity, not the building. A self-uniting license gives you courthouse-level simplicity at a place you'd actually want photographs of.
More options in courthouse wedding alternatives in Bucks County and what a small wedding in Bucks County actually costs.
Practical details either way
The license is valid for 60 calendar days and can be used anywhere in Pennsylvania — you're not tied to Bucks County for the ceremony.
The marriage return must be filed within 10 days of the ceremony with the office that issued the license. If it isn't, no marriage record exists.
Your $85 includes one certified copy. Extras are $25, free for first responders with ID.
Emergency waiver of the three-day wait is $95, and free for active-duty military.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Bucks County courthouse wedding cost? The $85 marriage license, plus whatever the officiating judge or mayor charges. Typically $85 to $300 total for the legal portion, making it the least expensive way to marry in the county.
Does the county schedule the ceremony? No. The Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court issues your license but does not book your wedding. You contact a magisterial district court or a mayor's office directly. Not all magisterial district judges perform marriages.
Can we get married the same day at the courthouse? No. The three-day waiting period applies regardless of where you marry. An emergency waiver petition costs $95 and is free for active-duty military.
How many guests can attend? Usually very few — often just the couple, witnesses, and a small number of others. Confirm the limit when you schedule, as it varies by location.
Do we need witnesses? Bring two adults who can sign. Two witnesses are required with a self-uniting license; for an officiated civil ceremony the officiant signs, but witnesses are still good practice.
Can we get married at the courthouse on a weekend? Generally no. Civil ceremonies happen during business hours, Monday through Friday. If a weekend date matters, this isn't the route.
Do we have to be Bucks County residents? No. Pennsylvania has no residency requirement, and a Pennsylvania license is valid for a ceremony anywhere in the state.
Is there a cheaper option than a courthouse wedding? A self-uniting license is the same $85 and requires no officiant at all, so you can marry anywhere in Pennsylvania at no additional cost — a park, a backyard, or a venue.
If you want something between a courthouse and a full wedding
The Arbor at The Bucks Club is a wedding venue in Jamison, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, about ten minutes from the Doylestown county offices. Our weekday ceremonies are built for couples who want something simple but not institutional — a waterfront ceremony site, somewhere to eat afterward, and nothing to plan.
Fees and procedures confirmed against Bucks County Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court published information, August 2026. Civil ceremony availability varies by official — verify current details at buckscounty.gov or by calling 215-348-6000.
Last updated: August 2026