Congratulations! You're getting married in one the most beautiful towns of North Carolina!
Getting married in New Bern is easy. First, get your marriage license in Craven County Register of Deeds, set up an appointment with the magistrate or officiant, complete the ceremony, and that's it!
Here are the steps to get married in New Bern, North Carolina.
How to Elope in New Bern
- Get your Marriage License from Craven County Register of Deeds.
- Fill out the Marriage Application Form.
- Bring $60 in Cash.
- Bring your drivers' license or passport social security card or similar documents.
- Set up an appointment with the Courthouse or Officiant
- Bring two witnesses
- Complete your ceremony
- Congratulations! You're officially married!
Getting your Marriage License
Quick note: You can get married anywhere in NC if you get your Marriage License within NC, but you'll need to send the application back to said county. For example, if you get your license in Craven County, you must submit your papers back to Craven County.
Here's how you get your Marriage License
- Email marriage@cravencountync.gov you and your partner's Driver's License or a gov. official ID. Both front and back.
- Fill out the Marriage License Application here. Note that only fill out the form if you're going to pick up your License within 7 Days.
- Call 252-636-6617 for an appointment.
- Bring $60 Cash or $63 with debit or credit card.
- Bring your Driver's License or a gov. official ID
- Bring your Social Security ID, pay stub, tax form, or any document with your Social Security written in paper
- Go to Register of Deeds to pick up your Marriage License.
Additional Notes:
- You'll need 2 witnesses.
- Register of Deeds Address
226 Pollock St, New Bern, NC 28560
Once you have your Marriage License, you have 2 options to continue with your marriage.
- You can get married in with a magistrate at courthouse or
- with an officiant with a location of your choice.
Getting Married in New Bern Courthouse
It's possible to get married on the same day in New Bern. You can head in the morning as soon as they open and just walk over the courthouse and get married with the magistrate. You must have all of the requirements + 2 witnesses to complete the wedding.
My experience with the courthouse was interesting. The courthouse is busy with appointments with visitors who may have heavier and more grounding reasons than marriage. It's definitely something to be aware of.
Additional notes:
- you can have up to 6 guests in the court room.
- you may or may not have a photographer in the room
Getting married using a New Bern officiant
This is the most popular choice because you can get married anywhere in New Bern. You can either hire an officiant or have a friend officiate the wedding for you. I'll explain this later in this post.
Getting married somewhere else is 100x better than getting married at courthouse. Couples getting married at a courthouse dampens the mood. It's cold and too...clinical. If you don't mind seeing people in handcuffs or a mother fighting for the custody of their child, then by all means, get married at the courthouse.
With that being said, hiring an officiant means you can get married at a wedding venue of your choice. You can also opt to get married at the backyard of your home, park, beach, rooftop of the building. The average cost to hire an officiant is around $300-$500.
A friend or family member
Wedding officiants have the power to marry people because they were ordained in a religious denomination or authorized by a church. Basically, anyone in the state of North Carolina can marry people as long as a church, whether physical or online recognizes you as a minister.
If you have a friend or family member whose interested, visit Universal Life Church for more information.
Where to get married in New Bern, NC
If you opted for an officiant and are planning to get married somewhere within Craven County, then here are a few locations I'd suggest.
I've photographed at Maola and Copper Ridge at the Neuse River last year.
They are both fantastic options.
Maola | Creamery turned event space
This wedding venue is fantastic. You can have both your ceremony and your reception here. They offer a bridal suite on the second floor of the venue, 100+ guest list, with plenty of parking space within the venue, easy access to pretty much everything. Their ceremony is held in a chapel next door. Plenty of reception spaces within the venue.
"Maola was absolutely perfect for our wedding day! I could not be more pleased with the venue. I have had so many guests tell me how wonderful and beautiful the venue was. Dylan was beyond helpful during set-up, the event, and tear-down. He truly made sure everything was taken care of so that there would be no stress. I would 100% recommend this venue to everyone."
- Hailey A.
Address:
1400 North Craven St,
New Bern, NC 28562
Email: inquiries@maolariverside.com
Their phone number isn't listed
Copper Ridge at the Neuse River | Cabin style Waterfront
Love this venue for having a scenic backyard, river with access to a boat dock, a cabin style reception with a deck where people can go and chill outside. This venue offers a place to getting ready, plenty of parking spaces for your guests, rentals as well. Definitely one of my top choices to get married in New Bern.
Address: 2706 Old Cherry Point Rd, New Bern, NC 28560
Phone: (252) 636-3663
Email: events@copperridgeontheneuse.com
What's Next?
The best way to tackle your wedding is to commit to a wedding date. This is a highly personal choice, whether it is an anniversary date, a date that is easiest for your friends and family can attend to, or whatever arbitrary reason. You'll need to have commit so you can provide a wedding vendor that information.
I would highly suggest talking to a wedding planner for ANY questions you might have.
Wedding Planners in New Bern
When you're looking for information about wedding planning in New Bern, you'll need someone to guide you on your journey.
Here are the 2 FANTASTIC Wedding Planners that I've worked in the past.
Stephanie Grimes from Effortless Events of Eastern NC
She's a fantastic wedding planner I've worked with at Copper Ridge on the Neuse. Feel free to mention my name, Glenn, Photographer at Pink Penguin Studios.
Phone Number: (252) 363-1756
Email: effortlesseventsnc@gmail.com
Website: https://www.effortlesseventsandoccasions.com/
Jennifer Emens | A True Love Story Wedding
She's super down-to earth planner that I've worked with at Maola. Again, feel free to mention my name, Glenn, Photographer at Pink Penguin Studios. Would work with again!
Phone Number: (252)-671-3960
Email: atruelovestoryweddingandevents@gmail.com
Website: https://www.atruelovestoryweddingeventplanningllc.com/
Eastern North Carolina Wedding Photographer
Hi guys! I'm Glenn! Thank you so much for reading this exhaustive information that I gathered on the internet, talking to the register of deeds of Craven County and my wedding experiences in New Bern.
I absolutely love what I do. I'll continue to pour in as much information as I can for New Bern.
If you're a modern couple looking for a an artistic Wedding photographer servicing New Bern, please fill out the form below.
Talk to you soon!
- Glenn
