Are you and your love considering getting married at one of San Diego’s Courthouse locations (ok, affectionately in the wedding world known as the courthouse, but technically the San Diego County Administration Center)?!

This blog is made to help you choose the perfect San Diego County building for your wedding day and plan all of the details!

If you want help planning and/or want to chat photos, get in touch with me here 💗 I’m Beth – an elopement and wedding photographer based in San Diego, CA (and travel anywhere). I’m part of the LGBTQ+ community and intentional about inclusion to all. 🌈

Why choose a courthouse elopement in San Diego?

Of my couples that do opt for a courthouse elopement, here are some of their reasons:

• We just said f*** it to the planning thing and are ready to just get married!!
• We want our wedding to be just the two of us (maybe some besties, parents, and pets)
• We want to have a smaller wedding ceremony before our bigger wedding celebration. 
• We love the simplicity of a courthouse wedding, and we will do whatever we want for our first day married.
• We hate paperwork… it’s all signed, done, and official at once!
• We’d rather pay for things we care about over an expensive venue.

Choosing to get married at the San Diego courthouse has many different appeals. It lowkey has a lot going for it! Whether you’re wanting an intimate day just the two of you and no wedding OR want both a large and small wedding, a courthouse ceremony is such a great option. If you’re like me and love efficient things in life, it’s also nice that the actual legal part is super fast and seamless. Thanks to this, you can spend your day celebrating wherever and however you want. 

If any of these reasons resonate with you, keep reading for tips on how to make the most of your San Diego Courthouse Wedding or Elopement! 

Your San Diego Courthouse Elopement Planning Steps

1. Choose which San Diego administrative building you want. 
2. Choose the perfect date and time to tie the knot. Here’s the link to see availability at every location and schedule!
3. Plan your wedding day – just because it’s a courthouse wedding doesn’t mean you need to give up any traditions you want. Many couples still do getting ready photos, a first look, and a reception after the ceremony!
4. Hire any vendors – glam team, floral, photographer. 
5. It’s time to celebrate – you’re married!  

Choose Your San Diego Wedding Location:

1. Downtown: Choosing this location offers two different ceremony areas – indoor and outdoor – and is right by the harbor, Little Italy, and – you guessed it – downtown. The indoor of this building gives vintage vibes for sure, and we love the classic exterior (even with the construction). 
2. Santee: The Santee building also offers two different ceremony areas – indoor and mountain view. The building is super modern, and the location right at the foot of hills and greenery feels quite tucked away. 
3. San Marcos: This location is right by California State University San Marcos, and the ceremony space is outdoor and fairly spacious. There’s not much in walking distance, so plan accordingly for additional photos offsite!
4. Chula Vista The wedding location here offers a quaint white gazebo and many local parks nearby! It’s typically less crowded (along with San Marcos).

Pick the Date and Time for Your Big Day:

Part of the beauty of a courthouse/administrative building elopement or wedding in San Diego is the flexibility for dates! Appointments are required, and you can make one by visiting the City of San Diego’s website linked here. You can book up to 7 weeks in advance! Downtown and Santee tend to fill up the fastest, and availability is often changing.

Plan Your Wedding Day:

With the license and ceremony itself being a pretty short hour or so, you have plenty of time to spend your San Diego wedding day however you and your fiance(e) want! You can keep any traditions that appeal to you – first looks, parent walk down the aisle, cake cutting. Or, build your day with any activities you and your partner want! Whether that’s brunch with family and friends after your ceremony or something just you and your person. Here are some ways to keep the wedding day going beyond the ceremony:

1. Walk around the site of the ceremony for some wedding photos just the two of you
2. Enjoy brunch, dessert, or dinner with close family and friends after the ceremony
3. Try a new activity in San Diego or nearby
4. Have a date at a meaningful San Diego spot to you
5. Take a day trip/honeymoon getaway 
6. Have a spa day! 

There really are endless activities to spend your San Diego wedding day, and you can take it at whatever pace feels right to you.

If you’re curious how a typical timeline looks for a courthouse elopement, here’s one from a 3 hour elopement:

• 3:30 PM: Arrive!
• 3:30 – 3:45: photos inside admin building before ceremony and checking in
• 3:45-4:00: check-in at office and quick paperwork
  • Photos of this process and then a few in the waiting area as we wait for the 4PM ceremony 
• 4:00 – 4:15: ceremony
  • Brief ceremony indoors or outdoors, depending on preference and location
• 4:15 – 5PM: just married photos in and around admin building!
  • Celebratory photos of just married – we can take a few in the ceremony space and indoors (depending on if we’ve already taken them before ceremony)
  • Outdoor photos – photos right outside and nearby nature or landmarks (depending on location)
• 5PM – 5:20/30: drive to second location (we did Balboa Park for this one!)
• 5:20PM – 6:30PM: Balboa Photos!

Hire Your San Diego Wedding Vendors:

This looks differently for everyone and is based on what you prioritize as a couple. Here are the most common vendors for your small wedding or elopement:

• Photographer: If you want to look back on every moment of your day, hiring a photographer is probably the top priority (yes, I am biased). See some of my wedding favorites here!
• Hair and makeup: If you or your partner love getting glammed up, consider hiring a hair and makeup team for you and/or your partner! 
• Floral: Beautiful bouquet(s) can be special to have for your wedding – they’re so lovely to have both for photos and to preserve a part of your day (if you’re sentimental like me…). 

Celebrate – You’re Married!!

Hopefully this is the easiest part! Now that you’re officially married, it’s time to celebrate! Of course that looks different for every couple. Some partners want to plan a large reception or second big wedding with family, others want to simply spend the day together just the two of them. Whatever you choose, remember to take some time and soak in all the good feels of being newly married to your person.

Want help planning and/or capturing your small wedding or elopement at a San Diego courthouse or anywhere else?! I’d love to help 💖 Get in touch with me here!