California courthouse weddings surge as Gen Z drives civil ceremony growth

Numerous West Coast {couples} are reportedly foregoing pricey, extravagant weddings as of late. Instead, they’re favoring easy courthouse ceremonies.

The demand for simple civil ceremonies is inflicting a rush for marriage appointments at municipal buildings in California, the Los Angeles Times just lately reported.

“They pretty much get picked up as soon as we release them,” Santa Barbara County Clerk Melinda Greene instructed the publication. “We have people from all over the world.”

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Slots to get married at California courthouses have been filling up months upfront, whereas some {couples} snap up last-minute bookings.

Elopement has turned from “a breezy wedding alternative into a formal contact sport,” the identical publication reported.

There’s been a surge in California courthouse weddings, in response to a current report — as an alternative of dear weddings at formal occasion venues. (iStock)

“It books up so fast, you have to be online at the exact time [of day] you plan on having your appointment,” Asha Marshall of So Fetch Photography instructed the Times. “A lot of my brides get stressed out.”

Micro-weddings are reportedly on the rise due partly to social media posts inspiring {couples} to get married on the identical venues the place celebrities have tied the knot.

Santa Barbara’s Spanish Moorish revival courthouse, for example, is a sought-after spot the place Kamala Harris married Doug Emhoff and the place Kourtney Kardashian received hitched to Travis Barker.

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“We see dozens a day, starting at 8 o’clock in the morning,” Roy Lee, Santa Barbara County supervisor, instructed the Times.

San Francisco City Hall, the place Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio have been married with nice fanfare in 1954, is a prime spot for a courthouse wedding ceremony, in response to the Times. The venue hosts some 7,000 weddings a 12 months.

Despite the uptick in California courthouse weddings, {couples} are nonetheless spending main bucks on their large day, knowledge exhibits. (iStock)

The pattern additionally coincides with Gen Z — these generally cited as having been born between 1997 and 2012 — now coming into its peak marrying years.

The oldest members of Gen Z are hitting the typical marrying age of 28, on-line wedding-planning and registry firm Zola reported, and this era has change into a major driver of the marriage trade.

Micro-weddings are reportedly on the rise, due partly to social media. 

“The 2026 wedding season reflects the broader cultural shifts of this generation,” Zola reported in its “2026 Wedding Trends: First Look” report, a survey of greater than 11,500 {couples} getting married in 2026.

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“Our couples are using TikTok and AI in their everyday lives, embracing both cocktails and mocktails and prioritizing their mental wellness,” the report mentioned.

Though cost-friendly and streamlined civil marriage ceremonies are in style in some locations, the typical price of a marriage is $36,000, in response to Zola — whereas the typical visitor rely has remained regular at round 145 folks, just like final 12 months.

The common wedding ceremony prices $36,000 and contains 145 company, current knowledge exhibits. (iStock)

“Even with economic jitters, we’re seeing couples prioritize the celebration they want over other financial goals,” the corporate reported. “The sentiment is clear: 85% of couples say their wedding will be worth every penny.”

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Bank of America mentioned in June 2026 that “wedding-related spending grew 8.5% year-over-year so far in 2026… suggesting that higher prices haven’t completely curbed spending on that special day.”

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The report additionally discovered customers are spending much less on one-time formal put on purchases, whereas extra economical, lab-grown diamonds proceed to achieve traction.