North Carolina is one of the most popular spots for a destination wedding. From beautiful beaches on the east coast and the historical sites in the Triangle all the way to the glorious mountains in the WNC area, there are a countless number of venues and hidden natural locations for you and your best friend to say “I Do!” Whether you’re looking for a venue to fit 200 of your closest friends and family, or a quiet mountain view cliff to elope, the possibilities are endless.
With such a range of choices, there is one consistent, and very important, step that all couples have to take in order to get married in the state of North Carolina. And that is to follow the NC marriage laws!
For couples who are not from North Carolina, local marriage laws can be a bit confusing. We’ve broken down all the legal steps and provided you with the resources you need to make sure that your marriage is official.
Photo Credit: Chelsea Allegra Photography
STEP 1: FIND AN ORDAINED OFFICIANT
Whether you want a professional officiant, your childhood minister or your best friend’s dad to marry you, they must be legally ordained in the state of North Carolina to perform the marriage ceremony.
Asheville has a wonderful range of professional officiants to choose from:
If you want to make your wedding ceremony a little more personal and have a close friend or family member perform the ceremony, they will need to get ordained. Here are a few requirements and steps for them to take:
Officiant must be 18 years of age or older
Officiant must be legally ordained in the state of North Carolina
Get ordained online at the Universal Life Church Website.
Photo Credit: Max Cooper Photography
STEP 2: OBTAIN A MARRIAGE LICENSE
In order to be legally married in the state of North Carolina, you must register for a marriage license with a NC Register of Deeds Office. We have outlined the important steps for you below!
APPLY FOR A MARRIAGE LICENSE
You have to pick up the marriage license in person, so be sure to choose an office you can get to. Whether it be in Raleigh, Charlotte or Asheville, it doesn’t matter as long as it is in North Carolina and you can get to it in person to pick up the marriage license.
Apply no more than 60 days before your wedding date as marriage licenses are invalid after that.
Most Asheville couples, whether locals or out-of-towners, apply for a marriage license at the Buncombe County Register of Deeds Office and pick it up when they arrive for their wedding weekend. Be sure to check the hours!
Apply for a marriage license here.
PICK UP THE MARRIAGE LICENSE IN PERSON
Once you have applied, you must visit the specific NC Register of Deeds Office from which you applied for your marriage license in person to pick it up.
You and your spouse will both need to be present and bring the following:
Both spouses’ valid photo I.D.s
Both spouses’ social security cards
$60 Fee - either cash, money order, debit/credit card or personal check
Double check that both copies of your marriage license are filled out correctly - check for any typos or misprints.
Be sure that there is a return envelope provided as well.
Bring both copies of your marriage license to your wedding!
Make sure it is placed somewhere secure and won’t succumb to any coffee or food stains.
Photo Credit: Ashley Schulze Photography
STEP 3: FIND YOUR WITNESSES
In order to have a legal North Carolina wedding ceremony, you must have an ordained officiant and two legal witnesses present. Your two witnesses must be 18 years of age or older and will need to sign the marriage license as well.
If you are eloping and there are no friends or family members present, you can ask your wedding planner and photographer to be your witnesses!
Photo Credit: Bren Photography
STEP 4: SAY “I DO”… OR SOMETHING SIMILAR
In North Carolina, we keep a few things traditional when it comes to getting married! In order to be properly married in this state, you and your spouse must clearly express your desire to be married to each other. This ensures that the marriage is not taking place against anyone’s will.
The most common examples of this are:
“Do you Alex take Morgan to be your lawfully wedded partner?” “I Do”
“Alex, do you wish to join Morgan in marriage?” “Yes”
Feel free to be as traditional or as creative as you’d like! All we need is a “Yes!”
Photo Credit: Jessica Merithew Photography
STEP 5: RETURN THE MARRIAGE LICENSE
After the wedding ceremony, both copies of the marriage license must be signed by the officiant and both witnesses. One thing to note, especially for destination weddings, is to know the county you are marrying in as the officiant will need to fill that out on the marriage license.
Both copies of the marriage license must be returned to the Register of Deeds office from which it was obtained within ten days of the ceremony. You may return the marriage license in person or via mail by using the return envelope they provided - don’t forget the stamp!
Typically, we will mail the marriage license for our clients the next day to ensure it arrives in time.
Photo Credit: Simply Violet Photography
CONGRATULATIONS, YOU’RE MARRIED!
Once you have returned your marriage license to the Register of Deeds office, you are done! As long as both copies of the marriage license were filled out properly, you should be legally married. You may request a paper copy of your marriage certificate from your Register of Deeds office and you can pick it up in person or ask them to mail it to you.
