How to Get Married at a Virginia Courthouse – Full Guide

Offering quick, short legal marriage services in Winchester, Virginia with optional photo packages.

 

I provide short, civil, legal marriage services at the Winchester, Virginia Courthouse with optional photos for couples interested in something easy, quick, but still intimate and memorable.

The process is simple and can all be done in under one hour! Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Schedule an appointment with me

Fill out my contact form to schedule an appointment with me for a specific date and time. You can also indicate if you would like to include a short (5 minute) or extended (20 minute) photography session.

Step 2: The day of your appointment,  arrive 30 minutes early to get your marriage license.

On the day of your scheduled appointment with me, you will arrive at the Winchester / Frederick County Judicial Center (5 N. Kent Street, Winchester, VA) 30 minutes BEFORE your appointment time to first obtain your marriage license from the court (or anytime earlier…marriage licenses are good for 60 days). All you need is:

  • A valid official photo ID (driver’s license or passport) OR birth certificate (written in English).
  • $30 to pay the court for your marriage license (cash or credit card).

Step 3: Meet me to get married outside the courthouse in a short legal ceremony.

After you have your license, I will then meet you at the courthouse at your scheduled appointment time and marry you in a very short ceremony. Weddings at the courthouse are conducted outside due to limited room inside the courthouse with no dedicated private rooms available for marriages. The short legal ceremony will be conducted under the stone archways outside or trees if you prefer.

You are also welcome to customize your marriage ceremony as well with personal vows or readings you provide. I will guide you through this process upon booking my services.

Step 4: Your marriage license is filed immediately after for you to purchase certified copies!

Immediately after your ceremony (and photo session if you included one), I will then complete the marriage license paperwork and return it to the court. You are then able to instantly purchase certified copies of the marriage license from the court ($3 per copy).

couple smiling

Dynasti B.

Mr. Riddle was completely organized, prepared and courteous to my husband and family. The pictures turned out amazing! Beautiful day and memories!

couple looking at each other

Cheri H.

Aaron Riddle did a fantastic job in communicating our wedding needs for elopement, performing our ceremony and taking the most beautiful pictures for our wedding day. I would certainly recommend him for your elopement in the Winchester area! Thanks again Aaron, for the easy and perfect day!

man and woman

Katie P

Aaron really did an awesome job! The pictures came out great and the officiant service was simple and sweet–just what we wanted! I was also told by the woman working at the courthouse that you are the only officiant to type up a keepsake certificate. That is such an awesome touch. Thank you for everything!

couple kissing

Christina B.

10/10 would recommend! Aaron is extremely professional, and gave us a beautiful intimate ceremony with our family. We couldn’t be happier with his services as both an officiant, and photographer! Aaron, we cannot thank you enough for making our special day perfect!

photo of family

Courtney M.

Aaron was recommended to us by a friend and was everything we hoped for! We both decided that the stress and expense of a big wedding was not how we wanted to our special day to be. Even before being engaged we both said we wanted to get married at the court house. Aaron made it better than we imagined. He is professional and provides all the information you need so that you are prepared. Also no need to worry about a photographer because he can include that too, and our pictures were great! He also had no issue with us including our 9 month old daughter during the ceremony. Highly recommend!

couple kissing

Dalila A.

Aaron was amazing to work with! My husband and I wanted something low key, simple and straight to the point and when I found Aaron’s website and instagram, I had to say yes! We got married in Winchester and the pictures turned out phenomenal. I 100% recommend him to anyone who wants a small, inexpensive wedding. Plus, the license is filed the same day, which is even better!

couple kissing

Renee M.

Aaron did a wonderful job officiating our wedding ceremony at the courthouse in Winchester and taking photographs afterwards! The process was very simple. We had our marriage certificate before we left the courthouse and the pictures in 2 days. We highly recommend Aaron!

You can come from West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland or anywhere in the world and get married in Winchester, VA!

Couples have many reasons for coming to Winchester, Virginia to get married, but some of the most common ones are:

  • NO waiting period (get your marriage license and get married the same day)
  • NO blood tests
  • NO additional documentation needed other than an ID (driver’s license)
  • Scenic areas
  • Friendly people
  • A drive through the lovely mountains on the way to Winchester

Many couples make a day trip out of their visit to Winchester to get married. For example, you can come out to Winchester in the morning, spend 20-30 minutes getting your marriage license, and another 20 minutes getting married with a quick photography session and that’s it! You have the rest of the day to spend in and around Winchester.

Have lunch at one of the great restaurants in Old Town Winchester. Visit a nearby trail for a fun and scenic hike in the mountains. There are so many options on how to spend your day in a town I love to call home.

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