Santa Barbara Courthouse Wedding Planning Tips

Not every couple wants to have an elaborate wedding on the beach or in a church. For those seeking to elope, a Santa Barbara Courthouse wedding may be the perfect fit. It’s a gorgeous venue with stunning architecture that celebrates the city’s Spanish heritage. If you like sunny, open spaces, hold a quiet, private ceremony at the Santa Barbara Courthouse. Keep reading for all the details you need to know. 

Best Time of Year to Have Your Wedding in Santa Barbara

While the weather is fairly mild in Santa Barbara year-round, there are more ideal times of the year in terms of weddings. The wedding season is generally considered April through November. Even if you want to elope, you’ll need to plan ahead to book somewhere as beautiful as the Santa Barbara Courthouse for your wedding. For less crowds we encourage all couples to consider a weekday wedding, nothing kills the vibe faster than having to wait around for a crowds to clear during your portrait session.

How Far in Advance to Book the Courthouse 

This question truly depends on what type of ceremony you’d like to have: civil or private. We’ll delve into both so you can get a feel for what each entail. 

Civil ceremony

This is what you think of when anyone says “elopement.” Your ceremony will be performed by a Deputy Marriage Commissioner. If you decide you want a weekday ceremony (Monday-Friday), you can make a 60-minute appointment to obtain your marriage license and have your ceremony performed. The Deputy Marriage Commission is not available on the weekends, so you’ll need to opt for the private ceremony option and obtain your marriage license in advance (see next section). If you already have your marriage license, you just require a 30-minute appointment for the ceremony to be performed. A maximum of 10 guests may attend a civil ceremony, which may be held in a variety of indoor or outdoor locations. If you’d like to use the Mural Room or the Sunken Gardens, you can learn how in the section “Reserving special locations” section below. 

Private ceremony

At a private ceremony, you select the officiant instead of using the Deputy Marriage Commissioner. You’ll also need to obtain your marriage license ahead of time. Advantages of holding a private ceremony include the ability to hold it on any day of the week, to invite more people, and to select from a wider variety of locations. 

Reserving Special Locations

The Santa Barbara courthouse has a variety of locations to hold your wedding. There are both interior and exterior, and different spaces are better for smaller and larger weddings. 

For small outdoor weddings…

• 8 exterior locations 

  • First-come, first, serve; NO reservations 

• These locations can accommodate up to 15 people

For large outdoor weddings…

• 5 outdoor lawn spaces including the Palm Terrace, Sunken Gardens, Fiesta Stage, Rotunda Lawn or Giant Bird of Paradise 

  • Can be reserved in 3-hour time slots (11-2, 3-6); cost $1100 to reserve

  • You can check availability online and reserve them up to 1 year in advance

• These spaces can accommodate up to 250 people

For indoor weddings…

• All of the above are outdoor wedding spaces; however, you can also reserve the Mural Room for $600 in 2-hour time slots (12:00-2:00 or 2:30-4:30).

• This space is also available on weekends with the above times and an additional time slot from 10:00-12:00. 

Fees Associated with a Santa Barbara Courthouse Weddings 

No wedding is free – even a civil ceremony. Here are some fees associated with a Santa Barbara courthouse wedding. 

• Marriage license: $100

• Ceremony appointment reservation: $23 (non-refundable)

• Ceremony fee: $104

• Confidential license: $111

• Parking: free for the first 75 minutes, $1.50/hour after

• Fees associated with location reservations (above)

There you go! A Santa Barbara Courthouse wedding can be a truly special event. It’s a gorgeous venue and can make any small wedding or quick elopement feel intimate and unique. 

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Hello Lovers!

We are Rafa & Shy, a hubby-wife team currently based out of San Luis Obispo. We say currently because we actually live & work out of an RV that we use to travel and explore new places in our off season.

We have two dogs and two cats…yes, a traveling zoo! If we’re not at home editing, we’re usually at the dog park, sand dunes, taking trips down or up the coast to Santa Barbara or Big Sur, or obsessing about our goals for our future like owning a ranch, a wedding venue or starting an animal sanctuary.

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