Civil Marriage Ceremonies

The City Clerk’s Office is proud to offer civil marriage services to our community.   Our services provide couples with a simple, meaningful alternative to a traditional religious ceremony, while still including special moments that make a wedding memorable, such as exchanging vows and rings and the official proclamation of marriage.

Civil ceremonies are officiated by the City Clerk and held outdoors in the City Hall Courtyard.  Civil ceremonies will be limited to every other Friday, between the hours of 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, as the City Clerk’s schedule allows.  

Whether you are planning a small gathering of friends and family or just looking for an efficient way to say, “I do,” we would be honored to be part of your celebration.

To schedule a ceremony service, a Civil Marriage Ceremony Application (PDF) must be completed, and the couple must obtain a valid marriage license from the Orange County Clerk-Recorder’s office. Please note that the City of San Juan Capistrano does not issue marriage licenses.

REQUEST CIVIL MARRIAGE CEREMONY DATE

Please see below for additional details regarding civil marriage services through the San Juan Capistrano City Clerk’s Office.

• Couples must obtain a valid marriage license from the Orange County Clerk-Recorder Office prior to scheduling an appointment: ocrecorder.com/services/marriage-services.
• Couples are required to make a reservation for the ceremony no more than 90 days in advance.
• Couples must provide a valid government issued form of identification and original marriage license at time of appointment.
• One witness to the marriage ceremony is required to sign the marriage license.  If the couple does not bring a witness, a City staff member will be available to serve as witness.  
• Food, drinks and amplified sound is prohibited.
• The ceremony procession may include vows, ring exchange and a proclamation.
• The City Hall courtyard will not be available as a reception venue.  Couples are encouraged to reserve one of our other City facilities to hold a reception: sanjuancapistrano.org/437/Park-Facility-Rental-Information.
• The couple is responsible for filing the authenticated marriage license with the Orange County Clerk-Recorder’s office.

There is no fee for the civil marriage ceremony services.