City Hall Wedding Duration: A Quick Guide To Your Ceremony

City Hall weddings are typically brief, lasting under a minute from start to finish. However, the whole process, including obtaining a marriage license and booking an appointment, can take up to an hour or even longer on busy days. The most popular time to get married is Friday afternoon, but if you're flexible, it's recommended to get married at the start of the week or in the morning.

City Hall ceremonies are brief, lasting under a minute

In New York City, the bare minimum it takes to get married at City Hall on any day of the week from start to finish is one hour. Ceremonies are quite brief in that they only last for a minute, but you are welcome to linger in the room afterwards for photos.

The most popular time to get married is Friday afternoon. However, due to the appointment system, you should be in and out in roughly 30-60 minutes, depending on the backup.

There will be chairs or benches along one side to put down any bags or coats, and the Clerk will be standing behind a podium. Go up to the podium, place your rings on the podium, hold hands with your beloved and try to take it all in.

In-person ceremony appointments are released every Monday at 9am EST sharp.

Appointments are required and last 30-60 minutes, depending on the backup

The bare minimum it takes to get married at city hall on any day of the week from start to finish is one hour. The most popular time to get married is Friday afternoon. If you are planning to schedule your wedding to coincide with the start of your weekend, then expect a two to three hour wait. If, on the other hand, you are flexible, then try to get married at the start of the week – or even better – in the morning.

There will be chairs or benches along one side to put down any bags or coats, and the Clerk will be standing behind a podium. Go up to the podium, place your rings on the podium, hold hands with your beloved and try to take it all in. The City Hall ceremony is very brief — literally under a minute — and then you’ll be married!

Now that you’ve obtained an in-person ceremony appointment, show up at the City Clerk 30 minutes prior to your confirmed time. Masks are not currently required. Couples are currently allowed four adult guests to come with them (your photographer being one of them), and one of them must also serve as witness.

The most popular time to get married is Friday afternoon

If you are flexible, then try to get married at the start of the week – or even better – in the morning.

The bare minimum it takes to get married at the City Hall on any day of the week from start to finish is one hour.

The ceremony is very brief – literally under a minute – and then you’ll be married!

The standard lunchtime wedding slot with the follow-up afternoon dinner and evening catering is a far-less expensive option, or alternatively, you could even opt for a late afternoon wedding with just one sit-down meal.

Couples can have four adult guests (including a photographer) and one witness

Couples can have four adult guests to come with them to a City Hall wedding, one of whom must also serve as a witness. The ceremony itself is very brief, lasting less than a minute, but you can linger in the room afterwards for photos.

To get married at City Hall, you need to book an appointment for your in-person City Hall ceremony, which are released every Monday at 9am EST. You must also obtain a marriage license at least 24 hours before getting married, which costs $35.

You should be in and out of City Hall in around 30-60 minutes, depending on the backup. The most popular time to get married is Friday afternoon, but Fridays are the busiest days. If you are flexible, then try to get married at the start of the week – or even better – in the morning.

You must show up at the City Clerk 30 minutes prior to your confirmed time. There will be chairs or benches along one side to put down any bags or coats, and the Clerk will be standing behind a podium. Go up to the podium, place your rings on the podium, hold hands with your beloved and try to take it all in.

City Hall weddings typically cost $35

City Hall weddings are typically held in New York City, and the ceremony itself is very brief, lasting under a minute. However, the whole process, from obtaining a marriage license to the ceremony itself, can take a few hours.

The bare minimum time required to get married at City Hall is one hour. The most popular time to get married is Friday afternoon, but Fridays are also the busiest days. If you are planning to get married on a Friday, expect a two to three-hour wait. However, if you are flexible with your wedding date and time, it is best to get married at the start of the week or even in the morning.

To get married at City Hall, you need to book an appointment for your in-person ceremony, which can be done by obtaining an appointment for your marriage license. Appointments for marriage licenses are released every Monday at 9 am EST sharp. Once you have your appointment, show up at the City Clerk 30 minutes prior to your confirmed time.

The cost of a City Hall wedding is $35, and you need to pay with a credit card or money order. You also need to provide some form of valid photo ID, such as a passport or driver's license. The marriage license is valid for 60 days, and you must obtain it at least 24 hours before getting married.

In summary, while the City Hall wedding ceremony is brief, the whole process can take a few hours, and the cost is $35.

Frequently asked questions