How to Get Married in Asheville, NC

HEY Y'ALL! CONGRATULATIONS!

I'm so thrilled to have you here getting married in Asheville, NC! Couples want to get married here because of the mountains.

Getting married or eloped here is super easy. You'll need a marriage license, two witnesses, $60, an officiant, and the ceremony.

Here's a step-by-step!

1. Getting your marriage license starts with filling out a marriage application, which you can do here.
2. Go to the Buncombe County Register of Deeds, you and your partner to be present.
3. Bring your Photo ID or Passport & Social Security
4. As well as $60 in Cash or Debit/Credit Card
5. Once you get your marriage license, schedule an appointment with an officiant or with a courthouse official.
6. Bring 2 witnesses to your elopement or wedding.
7. Once you complete your ceremony, congrats, you're officially married!!

Note:

• That you don't have to get married at the courthouse, you can hire an officiant to have your ceremony.  
• The marriage license is only valid for 60 days. I would suggest going to an officiant, wedding planner, and/or photographer to plan out your wedding.
• Don't forget to bring 2 witnesses to your elopement.

Register of Deeds

205 College St

Asheville, NC 28801

(828) 250-4303

Not sure if you should get married in a courthouse or with the officiant? I got you.

Getting married at the Courthouse in Asheville

You can actually just walk to the courthouse and the clerk can give you an availability to when they'll have the next appointment with the magistrate or courthouse official to marry you and your partner.

Here are your requirements:

1. Marriage License
2. $50 Cash
3. 2 Witnesses
4. You and your partner

The pros to this is simple, you can get married on the same day if they have openings, and you have both of your witnesses ready.

The bad thing is that you'll be mixed with all other people who might have heavier reasons why they're visiting the courtroom which may dampen the mood.

But if you don't care about that, then by all means, go for it!

Buncombe Courthouse

60 Court Plaza,

Asheville, NC 28801

(828) 259-3400

Getting married using an Asheville Officiant

Once you get your marriage license, you and your partner can elope or plan a wedding anywhere in Asheville and in North Carolina.

You can hire an officiant or have a friend officiate a wedding for you but it does require extra steps but, it's definitely worth looking into.

The average cost of officiants in Asheville is $400+.

Here's a few officiants I'd recommend!

Love and Wisdom Inc.

Philip is a fantastic officiant, I haven't personally worked with him(yet) but upon speaking to him on the phone, he's very welcoming and kind to give me information about getting married in Asheville. I'd highly recommend him to give you a customized and inclusive officiant package.

"Love & Wisdom Inc is absolutely amazing! We highly recommend using this company for your officiant needs.

We had Mr. Philip Lingle as our officiant and we are beyond amazed by the time and thoughtfulness that he adds every step of the way! Our ceremony took place in Marshall, NC on December 13, 2023. We opted to receive the Kiss & Go Package (short and sweet). Mr. Philip Lingle arrived at the ceremony well before it started and took the time to get to know my husband and I before hand. The words that he shared at our ceremony was personal and based on our love story. We did not expect to have personal words in our ceremony, so this was such a sweet surprise that we LOVE! Mr. Philip Lingle expressed, before the ceremony, that he would put our Marriage License in the mail the very next day - this gave me much ease. Less than a week later I was able to go pick up our certified Marriage License from our Register of Deed office. I was so surprised/excited that this was done so quickly! If you are in the process of researching an officiant, look no further! We did extensive research for officiants in and near Marshall, NC and we kept coming back to Love & Wisdom. One of our biggest reason is knowing that all of the officiants at Love & Wisdom Inc are "legally qualified to conduct marriage ceremonies." Love & Wisdom Inc is a wonderful company. We are so glad that we chose this company and that we got mr. Philip Lingle as our officiant."

- April R.

Phil@loveandwisdominc.com

828-209-8071

https://loveandwisdominc.com/

Officiant Danny

Highly recommend Danny, he brings his heart and soul to every wedding, ensuring it's personalized for each couple. He highlights the unique love story of each pair by narrating their journey in five captivating acts:

The First Act covers their initial impressions

The Second Act dives into the magic of their first date; the Third Act celebrates the deepening of their relationship; the Fourth Act recounts the proposal; and the Fifth Act hopes and dreams for the future. Through his storytelling, Danny allows the audience to re-live the couple's journey, emphasizing what makes them an extraordinary duo.

"We wanted our ceremony to not be cookie-cutter, like many weddings. So we did some research and decided on Danny, and to say we were satisfied with that decision is an understatement.

He really went above and beyond to make our ceremony very personalized to us and our relationship, with a perfect humorous touch. Our guests and us loved and appreciated the entire ceremony. Danny was great to work with, and his experience as a wedding officiant really showed throughout the entire process. We don’t know if anybody could have done it any better! Danny made our wedding ceremony a very positive and memorable experience. We HIGHLY recommend Danny as a wedding officiant!"

- Julian

danny@officiantdanny.com

707-362-0561

https://www.officiantdanny.com/

How to Human better

Jennifer is a rock star. She has an amazing resume, probably the best one I've read so far. She speaks Spanish and Mandarin, which is immediately impressive. LGBTQ-community, read more about her about me page.

"Where do I begin to describe the amazing person that Jennifer is? In our wedding research, we knew we wanted an officiant who was open-minded, did non-religious ceremonies and made us feel even closer to one another than we already were. When I found Jennifer and "How to Human Better" I knew immediately she was the one. The name says it all...it encompasses everything my husband and I I try to be each and every day- a little better for ourselves and others. From start to finish, Jennifer was there with us, guiding us, nurturing our love. Our ore-wedding day meetings were some of our favorite days. She would guide us in deep breathing and meditation, which was a life saver come wedding day. It's true what they say...the wedding day goes by in the blink of an eye, but with Jennifer guiding the ceremony that day, I felt so present in the moment. I can still remember details that would probably otherwise be forgotten.

She is one of the kindest people we know and hope to never lose touch!"

- Jenny S.

juda@humanbetter.com

(828)283-0596

https://www.howtohumanbetter.com/

Where to get married in Asheville

Once you have your marriage license and officiant, you're ready to get married. Finding a location is highly a personal choice. But I also want to highlight some of the newer venues in Asheville so that they're getting some more traffic to.

Henderson Acres

I love the drone shot/balcony view when I immediately saw their site. This is definitely a wedding venue definitely worth considering!

"We recently had our wedding at Henderson Acres and I can’t tell you enough how grateful we are to have done so. We knew a few things about our wedding when looking for a venue. We wanted a simple ceremony with only our closest, BUT we wanted a location that whole-heartedly resonated with both of us. We love the mountains so I was initially drawn to H.A. for that. We took our first visit to this location in the spring of this year and immediately fell in love. The house is a stunning, uniquely renovated, incredibly comfortable home situated in the middle of the blue ridge mountains. As soon as we saw the view, we knew we had to book it. I can’t wait to get more photos back of the actual venue to show you just how beautiful it is. Brett and Brandi were so attentive and helpful during the planning process and the day-of. Their entire staff was thoughtful, attentive, and so kind to our family. They thought of every detail and prepared our the venue for our wedding so perfectly. Every space you need is there, from the beautiful ceremony walkway to the full bar. We got so many compliments from both guests and vendors. Can’t recommend Henderson Acres enough"

- Emily recent Henderson Acres Bride

197 Holcombe Branch Rd

Weaverville, NC 28787

(828) 516-3042

https://www.hendersonacres.com/

The Loralei inn

I love the drone shot/balcony view when I immediately saw their site. This is definitely a wedding venue definitely worth considering!

"The Loralei Inn is a gorgeous wedding venue! Beautiful Inn with a fantastic view. Lora was such a pleasure to work with during my wedding planning process! She made me feel like family and was super informative with all the details of having a wedding at the Loralei Inn. Lora is very involved with your wedding and will do everything to make your dream wedding a reality! I highly recommend having a wedding here, you will certainly not regret it 💜"

- Jenna B. recently married in 5/2023

659 Lake Dr

Canton, NC 28716

(828) 606-7965

https://theloraleiinn.com/

Stoney Woods Estate

I love the drone shot/balcony view when I immediately saw their site. This is definitely a wedding venue definitely worth considering!

"This was our second visit to this incredible place! The Estate is large and roomy, with plenty of space to find your own area for relaxation. The kitchen had all of the necessary equipment (pots, pans, etc) that allowed us to prepare a wonderful family meal to enjoy in the majestic setting of the North Carolina mountains. The beds were extremely comfortable, and there were plenty of bathrooms for all! The firepit was one of the favorite places to hang out at and there was plenty of cut and split firewood on hand. There was a large selection of DVD's available for us to watch (but we were having too much fun hanging out with each other to really take advantage of this amenity!) It is located only about 30 minutes from downtown Asheville. Check-in and check-out was easy, the Host's are amazing people. Our family really needed this weekend after the crazy year we have all been having. This was just the right prescription! I highly encourage you to try this place out, you won't find a better place, for a better price, anywhere in the area!"

- Alex Groff

700 Stony Woods Cir

Marshall, NC 28753

(828) 649-5772

https://stonywoods.com/

Wedding Planners in Asheville, NC

There's chockfull of information about getting married in Asheville, NC. You'll need a day-of-coordinator, a DJ, rentals, photographers, videographers, cake, catering, etc. The best way to tackle this mountain is by talking to an officiant who understand your needs.

Here's a few that I'd highly recommend!

Overjoyed Weddings

As a husband-and-wife team, they ventured into the realm of wedding planning after finding joy and fulfillment in orchestrating their own nuptials. Their passion for the planning process naturally evolved into a business endeavor, characterized by a commitment to budget-friendly services. The adage "Necessity is the mother of invention" perfectly encapsulates their journey. Having worked in the industry as a hair and makeup artist since 2009, the wife gained invaluable insights into the nuances of wedding preparations, enabling her to empathize deeply with brides and understand their unique needs.

"Candace and her assistant Pat were absolutely the right move for us. We weren’t sure we needed help on the day of, but we thankfully went ahead and booked her and the reception went so smoothly. She made sure that we were on time and well taken care of throughout. Communication was clear and easy and she made my vision of set come alive without having discussed it in person."

- Kelsey

1-828-400-4003

info@overjoyedweddingsandevents.com

https://overjoyedweddingsandevents.com/

Asheville Wedding Planners



"Kay and Anna were a delight to work with through the entire process, from planning to the big day. Even though I only hired their day-of coordinating services, Anna answered all questions I had throughout the year, going above and beyond my expectations. Once I met Kay closer to the wedding date, I knew I was in amazing hands. I trusted her completely and knew she could handle any curveball thrown at her. I can't imagine what my wedding day would have been like without her there, and I'm glad I don't have to find out! Thank you Kay, Anna, and Asheville Wedding Planners!"

- Madison C.

828-254-1103

828-691-1386

I Do Asheville Weddings

"Christine and her husband were very involved from the beginning of the planning as we came up with the initial concept together! We had a few rough bumps we had to deal with but Christine did everything she could to turn it around and make my wedding weekend perfect! She’s knowledgeable about all the local vendors and will make sure you get your bang for your buck! It was a great time working with you for 1.5 and I will miss our chats! :)"

- Margi

828.808.8667

https://idoashevilleweddings.com/