Feeling like you want to ditch the wedding traditions, but not sure how to get married without the rules or formulas? The good news for you here is that there’s really only one set of rules that you need to worry about: Washington state marriage laws.
It can feel a bit overwhelming to research, so that’s why I did it for you. All the information you need on how to make your elopement a legal marriage in Washington state is here in this post.
let's get you hitched!
I'm Allison, your Washington elopement photographer
My goal is to bring the beauty of Washington landscapes and relationships together. I want your photos to make you feel the same way your partner makes you feel. I want you to just gasp and feel giddy and cry in disbelief that you made it to this day. I am here to help you tell your story in your own experience, without any outside influences or inputs.
Here's the basics to getting married in Washington:
1. Get your marriage license
2. Have your ceremony
3. Return the license
1. Get your marriage license.
The nice thing about Washington state is that you can get your marriage license in any county. You don’t need to be a resident of the county (or the state for that matter), and you don’t even need to have your ceremony in that county. You just need to be able to apply for the license and return it after the ceremony.
Map from geology.com
If you live in Washington, you can use the county you live in. If you’re traveling, here are some of the most convenient counties to obtain your marriage license:
- King county: Sea-Tac airport & Seattle
- Pierce county: Tacoma
- Spokane county: Spokane
- Whatcom county: Bellingham
- Chelan county: Wenatchee
- Clark county: Vancouver
- Clallam county: Port Angeles
All you need to do to get your license is apply (online, by mail or in person), pay the county fee, and wait the 3-day period.
2. Have your ceremony.
You don’t need to have the ceremony in the same county as you applied for your license, so anywhere in the state is fair game! The biggest pain here is that 3-day waiting period. This means you have to wait a full three days from the time you get your license to have the ceremony. If you want to have your ceremony on Friday, for example, you’ll need to get your license by the previous Tuesday. You must have your ceremony within 60 days of getting your license.
Besides timing, there are other requirements to make your ceremony legally legit.
The ceremony can be performed by:
- Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, or Superior CourtJustices and Commissioners
- Judges and Commissioners of courts of limited jurisdiction
- Judges of tribal courts from a federally recognized tribe
- Licensed or ordained ministers or priests of any church or denomination
That last bullet point is key - it means anyone ordained can marry you, including a friend, family member, or even me! I’m ordained through the Universal Life Church, so I can sign your paperwork for you if you’re trying to keep your numbers down.
The last requirement is to have two witnesses sign your marriage certificate. This is easy to accomplish, even if your big day is just the two of you and an officiant. Most people are happy to sign as a witness, even if they don’t know you. So you could find two people on your hike, the parking lot, at the ranger station, or anywhere else you’ll go to sign for you. If you are including guests, you can have two of them sign.
3. Return the license.
After you two, the officiant and two witnesses sign, all that’s left to do is to return it to the same county you got your license from within 30 days. And voila, you’re married!
That's it!
It’s actually pretty simple, right? So don’t sweat! If you fall in love with a location for a special ceremony somewhere in a state that doesn’t have ideal parameters for you, you can always wed at your local courthouse prior to doing your unique ceremony.
You don’t have to let complex laws overwhelm you or dull your dream elopement! There are always ways to make your vision work. You just need people in your corner to support you. And hey, that’s me!
It's not too late to elope in 2024!
Washington is one of the simplest states to elope! If you want to tie the knot before the year is over, I can help suggest locations and itineraries to cut out the amount of paperwork (and bureaucratic timelines) involved. Let's hop on a call!
