Tips for couples getting married at the Old Orange County Courthouse!

Having photographed weddings at the historic Santa Ana Courthouse since 2015, I’ve gathered a wealth of helpful tips and insights that can make your wedding day smooth, joyful, and stress-free. From understanding the best photo spots to navigating the process of getting married there, I’m excited to share everything I’ve learned over the years.

WHAT TO BRING

Let’s go over the logistic first, starting with what to bring:

  • your valid photo ids (generally your DL)

  • payment (cash, personal checks, and credit cards are accepted)

  • zero witnesses for a “confidential marriage license,” which is not searchable as a public record, OR

  • one to two witnesses with valid photo ids —your photographer can serve as such— for a regular public license

THE MARRIAGE LICENSE

Tip #1: The marriage license application is valid for 90 days; you can book your appointment within 60 days. If you apply early, booking the time of your choice should not be an issue given that they offer simultaneous appointments. Apply online at https://www.ocrecorder.com/services/marriage-services and book an appointment to save time.

Tip #2: Book your Orange County wedding photographer as soon as you pick a date!

Tip #3: Please note that on Fridays after 11:OO AM, Saturdays (the few per year they are open), and popular dates like February 14th, the indoors space gets very crowded. I call it “sardine can mission” (haha), and you can see below what I mean. This may limit our ability to use certain areas for photographs and may also slow down the process with the clerk (just like when going to the doctor at the end of the day on a busy day).

Unlike other counties, the OC Clerk will not give you a printed marriage certificate that same day. It will be mailed to you at a later time, or you may choose to pick it up in person. You will be asked how many copies you would like to pay for. The entire process from beginning to end takes about 30 minutes on the less busy weekdays. Be prepared for longer wait times on busy days.

Tip #4: A note about California marriage licenses:

  • You can get a marriage license in any California county and get married anywhere else in the state. Couples travel from San Francisco, San Jose, Riverside, and Los Angeles to get married here.

  • You can take the completed marriage license back to the office where you obtained it, or you/your officiant can mail it in.

THE CEREMONY

Your ceremony will take place in one of the two beautifully decorated courtrooms across the hallway from the clerk’s office. These rooms are labeled A (larger) and B (smaller). You will repeat after the officiant, exchange rings, be pronounced married, and kiss. This takes 5-7 minutes, but it feels much shorter!

The historic large Superior Courtroom upstairs is also available for an additional fee.

PARKING/ACCESSIBILITY

  • There is metered parking available onsite, located behind the courthouse. There is a 2-hour maximum. Meters accept both coins and credit cards, and you can also use a third-party app to pay for parking. Be mindful of the time limit—over the years, I’ve seen citations issued for expired meters, so I recommend setting a timer as a reminder!

  • The onsite parking lot often gets full. If that is the case, there are plenty of nearby parking structures you can use. Plan to arrive 20-30 minutes early in case you need to park off site and walk. During our planning consultation, I tell clients exactly what parking garage to use since we will be at the courthouse for 2+ hours.

  • Accessibility note: The back of the building has a ramp which leads to an elevator into the building. The front entrance as well as the side entrance consist of several stairs.

FAMILY & FRIENDS

Yes, you can include family and friends! It’s important to pass along parking info and your appointment time to them. Please let them know that on busy days, when you are called in for your ceremony, the ceremony begins! There is no waiting for family to arrive, sorry. They move things along quickly at the Orange County Courthouse!

This may sound unnecessary, but please give family and friends the complete street address for your ceremony! We want everyone to get there smoothly.

2026 PHOTOGRAPHY PRICING

For 1 hour of coverage with 1 photographer, pricing starts at $550 (includes my travel fee.) $100 deposit holds your date.

Hand-Edited Digital files are usually delivered within 2 weeks.

You can typically expect 50+ images.

Custom packages are also available!

Interested in booking? Wonderful!

Please go ahead and complete this form for me to get started, thanks! I look forward to working with you!