As long as you obtain the marriage license from the office of the clerk in the county where the ceremony is held, you can get married anywhere

Many engaged couples ask the question, “Where do I get married?” Although the answer may seem like a difficult one, couples have various locations and ideas for where they can get married. The actual location is solely dependent on the couple’s preferences as well as their budget. There are even options to get married for free for couples who want to tie the knot but don’t feel a big wedding is for them.

Some couples choose to go the simple route. When they ask, “Where do I get married?” they decide that the courthouse is the best option. A Justice of the Peace, typically a judge, will perform the ceremony and the couple will need to have witnesses which can be friends or family. Getting married at a courthouse is a simple way to legally bind two individuals in love.

Other couples that follow a particular religion often choose to perform the ceremony at their house of worship. This type of ceremony has religious overtones and is performed by a clergyman of the couple’s religion. This marriage route is more costly than a courthouse wedding but can carry with it more meaning for the couple.

There is the option of having a friend or family member perform the wedding ceremony. This is another way to get married for free because all the friend or family member has to do is get ordained online by the Universal Life Church. In this way, the friend or family member can marry the couple just about anywhere in the United States. At the same time, the person chosen to perform the ceremony would have the honor and privilege of giving something special to the couple.  This also gives the couple the freedom to get married wherever they want – it could be where they first met, the family home, or a scenic destination.

Any of these options can work for a couple. For an engaged couple that would like to have their ceremony in a city outside of the state in which they reside, there are some added preparations to consider. The couple must have all of the proper paperwork prior to the wedding. Contacting the county clerk will help the couple figure out exactly what they’ll need. The only real stipulation for where you can get married is that it must be in the same county as the office of the clerk that issued the marriage license, beyond that, it’s all up to you!