St Augustine Courthouse Wedding Guide

What to do to get married at the courthouse:

Hi! I am a local St. Augustine elopement photographer and I am excited to put together this guide for you based on what couples like you want to know about legally tying the knot in our little town!

Your questions answered here:

Can you go to the courthouse and get married in St. Augustine? The short answer is YES, absolutely!

To make an appointment to get married at the courthouse in St. Augustine, Florida, you can visit the St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller's office:

Location: 4010 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine, FL 32084

Phone: (904) 819-3632

You can also apply for a marriage license in person at the office during the hours of 8 AM–4:30 PM.

How do I get married on the same day?

If you are both Florida locals, it requires a little extra legwork. Let’s talk about getting your marriage license.

St Johns County marriage license information:

Just like any official commitment, you have to jump through a few hoops to get legally married in Saint Augustine. But as someone who has done it before and works with couples who have also done it, I will say - it’s not too bad and is totally manageable.

I have more thorough information about getting your marriage license in this blog post, but make sure you come back here for all the other good-to-knows, like where should you take photos afterward because our courthouse isn’t super aesthetic.

Having your St. Augustine wedding photographer (me :)) capture the day:

You are here and looking at beautiful photos of my couples so I am sure the question is on your mind: What are the logistics of booking our elopement photographer?

I am happy to take photos of your actual elopement at the St Johns County Courthouse. They have a very pretty gazebo outdoors that I recommend and they also have an indoor area we can use, if you prefer.

It will take just a mere five minutes for their anointed officiant to marry you legally, once you have your license in hand and then you will go back inside to sign/finish up. You do not need additional witnesses in Florida.

Because the courthouse tends to give daytime appointments of 12 PM or 3 PM, for example - I recommend taking a short break after the courthouse wedding ceremony and reconvening for photos in our romantic downtown closer to sunset. It will be less hot and bright and better suited for Pinterest worthy portraits.

I recommend meeting back up in downtown St. Augustine ( I will send parking details on booking) 1.5 hours prior to sunset for best lighting.

We will walk around downtown and I will take you to some of my favorite romantic streets. We can stop by Lightner Museum and Casa Monica for photos to complete your courthouse elopement look, as well.

My two hour package is generally plenty of time, but you can always add on more time whenever. Check out my pricing here.

Take a look at a few of the examples from previous elopements below and make sure to reach out to me to photograph your day!

What other couples like you told me to tell you:

Some good to knows about the process:

If you want to have a reception, schedule photos with me at sunrise on the day of (before you are legally married). We will soak up the best lighting. Consider this your official first look. Then we can take courthouse photos at whatever time of the day the court gives you. I am happy to be your reception photographer as well. Check out some of my go-to spots for wedding reception dinner in St Augustine.

Bring an extra pair of comfy walking shoes! Downtown cobblestones are no joke.

Make sure you take the full day off (or better yet a few days off) to fully commemorate the occasion!

Things to do as newlyweds in St. Augustine downtown:

Now you are married and probably staying in town for a few days. Congratulations! For ideas on where to stay, where to eat and what to do while you are here (from a local’s perspective), visit this blog.

Conclusion

In conclusion, let’s get you drool worthy photos to hang on the walls as a reminder of choosing to run off and elope in our super romantic town. I am soooo here for it!

Nice to meet you. Let me know if you have any questions and enjoy the gallery below from Sevyn and Cole’s fun courthouse and downtown elopement.