How-To Guide: Get Married At The Annapolis Courthouse
This article is current as of April 2025!
So you’re considering an Annapolis courthouse wedding! Courthouse weddings in Maryland are vastly more affordable than most weddings in 2025. They’re also classic and timeless. Many of my clients remember hearing stories of their grandparents or great-grandparents getting married at the courthouse, with a small luncheon afterwards or a party later on. Well, we’ve come full circle since COVID-19. The pandemic canceled or delayed many weddings, especially in 2020. Inflation is also out of control right now, which means booking 7-10 vendors and a Maryland wedding venue for your larger wedding can get very expensive.
Getting married at the courthouse (at least in Anne Arundel County Maryland) only costs $80. It’s $55 for the marriage license beforehand, and $25 on the day of the ceremony. The courthouse’s wedding ceremonies are now able to be booked direct link instead of walk-in like they used to be pre-pandemic. You can visit this page on the Maryland courts’ website to see how it all works - but the main info is this: “The License Department is in the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County, 8 Church Circle Room H101 (directly behind security) Annapolis Maryland 21401. Civil Ceremonies are performed at the Circuit Court Marriage Ceremony Room Monday through Friday. The hours for civil ceremonies are 9:00 AM. - 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM. Parties should arrive 20 minutes prior to the scheduled appointment and proceed to the License Department for check-in.”
I personally recommend scheduling a morning or early Friday afternoon wedding. There won’t be too much weekend traffic starting yet, and couples can easily transition into dinner at a nice restaurant, an at-home catered meal, or a potluck with friends!
The biggest draw (and why this courthouse is the most popular one of wedding ceremonies in central Maryland) is that it’s surrounded by historic, downtown Annapolis. Cobblestone streets, the majestic State House building, the lush greenery surrounding the governor’s mansion, the city dock with its boats and ducks. The Annapolis ceremony room has recently gotten updated, right after I photographed this wedding. I’ll be showing the new orientation soon - but basically they rotated it to the left so that a blank white wall is the background, which is admittedly way nicer than the previous platitude- and faux flower-decorated wall.
Masks are no longer required in the courthouse, although do wear one if you prefer. A big photography-related security change to note - within the last couple years, this location no longer allows any photograph in the lobby. The security guards remind me every time and I make sure to follow it - they are very strict about it. To me, this is a small con to this Maryland circuit court location, but since they schedule the ceremony times now, it’s not too bad. I usually meet my clients outside the courthouse 15 minutes prior to their ceremony time, do a few candids, then put away my cameras for the 5 minutes it takes to transition in through security, through the check-in desk to the right, and into the ceremony room.
Please reach out if you have any other questions about getting married at a courthouse in Maryland or if you’d like me to photograph your wedding day! It’s never too late - I’ve been hired for courthouse weddings a few months in advance, up to the DAY BEFORE. Most of my courthouse wedding clients hire me for my base 1.5 hours of coverage and that’s all you need to document the arrival at the courthouse, the ceremony, family photos, and couple portraits. Some add on an hour to cover the beginning of their reception as well.
You’ll keep the overall cost of your wedding really low, have a fun and intimate day, and still get “official,” beautiful photos to document it all and remember it forever :) and now, please enjoy Natalia and Matt’s courthouse wedding photos!
