Elegant wedding invitation suite with envelopes and calligraphy pen on a wooden desk

Your wedding is at city hall. The ceremony will be short, sweet, and probably over before most traditional weddings finish their processional. But the invitation still matters. It’s the first impression your guests get of your wedding day, and it sets the tone for everything that follows.

Whether you’re inviting four people or forty, sending printed cards or going fully digital, getting the details right saves you from awkward conversations later. Here’s what you need to know about wedding invitations for a courthouse ceremony.

When to Send Invitations and Save-the-Dates

Traditional wedding invitations go out six to eight weeks before the event. For a city hall wedding, you can follow the same timeline, though many couples send theirs a bit earlier since courthouse ceremonies sometimes have limited scheduling windows.

Save-the-dates are a separate question. If your wedding is more than three months away, a quick digital save-the-date gives guests time to clear their calendars without costing you a dime. Free digital invitation platforms let you send polished save-the-dates by email. Save the printed stationery for the real invitation. For a closer look at the full invitation timeline, including save-the-dates and follow-up mailings, see our guide on when to send wedding invitations.

For RSVPs, ask guests to respond at least two weeks before the ceremony. That gives you a buffer for the inevitable stragglers. If someone hasn’t replied by your deadline, a quick phone call or text is perfectly fine. People forget. It’s not personal.

Planning a reception afterward? If you're hosting a reception after the ceremony, your RSVP deadline matters even more. Caterers and restaurants need a final headcount at least a week before the event.

What Your Invitation Should Include

Every wedding invitation needs to answer four questions: Who is getting married? When is it happening? Where should guests go? And how should they respond?

Here’s a simple checklist:

  • Names of the couple (and hosts, if someone else is formally inviting)
  • Date and time of the ceremony
  • Location with the full address (especially important for courthouses with multiple entrances)
  • RSVP details with a deadline and preferred method (email, phone, card)
  • Dress code if you have one
  • Wedding website URL if you’ve created one

For courthouse weddings, you may also want to mention practical details like parking, which entrance to use, or whether photography is allowed inside. Many courthouses have specific rules about guest counts and cameras, and your guests will appreciate knowing ahead of time.

One thing you can skip: registry information on the invitation itself. Etiquette guides have long considered this a faux pas, since it can read as asking for gifts outright. Your wedding website or word of mouth through family and close friends is a better way to share registry details.

Getting the Wording Right

The wording on your invitation sets expectations. A formal, engraved card with “request the honour of your presence” signals a different kind of event than a cheerful note that says “come celebrate with us.” Match the language to your actual wedding.

For most courthouse weddings, a warm and straightforward tone works best:

Together with their families, Sarah Chen and David Park invite you to celebrate their marriage Saturday, the fourteenth of June at half past ten in the morning City Hall, San Francisco

If you’re hosting a reception or party after the ceremony, include those details on the same invitation or add a separate insert card. Something like: “Following the ceremony, please join us for lunch at Cafe Lucca” gives guests a clear picture of the full day.

For very casual courthouse weddings, you can go even simpler. A few sentences explaining what’s happening, when, and where is all you need. There’s no rule that says a wedding invitation has to follow a rigid template.

Your wedding stationery checklist can help you keep track of all the printed pieces, from the main invitation to response cards and detail inserts.

Printed, Digital, or Both?

You have three main paths for getting invitations into people’s hands, and each one has real trade-offs.

Printed invitations from a local printer or designer are the most traditional option. You get to feel the paper, choose from a wide range of styles, and the finished product has a weight and texture that digital versions can’t replicate. The downside is cost. Between design, printing, and postage, even a modest set of printed invitations can add up quickly. If quality and craftsmanship matter to you, this is where to invest.

Online printing services offer a middle ground. You pick a template, customize the text and colors, and the finished cards show up at your door. Prices are lower than a local printer, and the template-based workflow makes the design process faster. The trade-off is that you won’t see or touch the final product until it arrives, which means ordering samples ahead of time is worth the extra step.

Digital invitations are free or close to it, arrive instantly, and produce zero paper waste. For a small courthouse wedding, they’re a perfectly appropriate choice. Some couples worry that digital invitations feel too casual, but the quality of digital invitation platforms has improved dramatically. You can find designs that look just as polished as printed cards.

A hybrid approach works well for many couples: digital save-the-dates followed by printed invitations, or digital invitations for most guests with a few printed copies mailed to older relatives who prefer something they can hold.

Budget-conscious? Digital invitations pair well with other cost-cutting strategies for couples keeping their city hall wedding affordable. Put the money you save on postage toward your reception or honeymoon instead.

Handling Tricky Guest List Situations

The guest list is where invitation etiquette gets real. A few situations come up over and over, so it helps to have your answers ready before the invitations go out.

Adults-only weddings. You’re within your rights to have a ceremony without children. The clearest way to communicate this is by addressing invitations only to the adults by name, with no “and family” language. Spread the word through close family members as well, so no one is caught off guard. If you want to soften it, consider hiring a babysitter at a nearby location so parents with young kids can still attend.

Plus-ones. For intimate courthouse ceremonies, it’s completely acceptable to invite guests without a plus-one. The exceptions: married couples should always be invited together, and if you’ve invited all of your friends’ partners, leaving one person’s significant other off the list will be noticed. Be consistent.

Ceremony-only vs. reception. If you’re having a small ceremony at the courthouse and a larger reception later, it’s fine to invite additional people to the reception only. The reverse (inviting someone to the ceremony but not the reception) is generally considered poor form. If they’re important enough to watch you get married, they should be welcome at the party afterward.

Breakups after invitations are sent. If a couple you invited splits up, only the person whose name is on the invitation is technically invited. If you wrote “and guest,” the invited person can bring someone new. A quick conversation clears things up faster than hoping people read between the lines.

For general etiquette guidelines covering ceremony behavior for both couples and guests, our wedding ceremony dos and don’ts covers the full picture.

Courthouse-Specific Details Worth Mentioning

City hall and courthouse weddings come with logistics that traditional venue weddings don’t. Your invitation (or your wedding website) is the right place to address them.

Guest count limits. Many courthouses restrict the number of guests allowed in the ceremony room. If your venue caps attendance at ten people, your guests need to know this before they assume they can bring their whole family. Be direct about it on the invitation or a separate details card. Knowing how many people to invite is even more important when a venue has a hard cap.

Parking and arrival. Courthouses are government buildings, which often means limited parking and security screening at the entrance. Let guests know if they should arrive early, where to park, and whether they’ll need to pass through a metal detector. These small details prevent confusion and help everyone feel relaxed when they arrive.

Dress code guidance. Courthouse weddings span a wide range, from jeans-and-sneakers casual to full suits and cocktail dresses. If you have a preference, say so on the invitation. Phrases like “smart casual,” “cocktail attire,” or simply “come as you are” give guests enough direction without being prescriptive.

Photography rules. Some courthouses allow photography during the ceremony; others don’t. If your venue has restrictions, mention it so your photographer (or phone-wielding aunt) knows what to expect. Assign someone to handle photo coordination so you aren’t managing logistics while saying your vows. Our list of tasks to delegate on your wedding day includes this and other responsibilities worth handing off.

Making Your Invitations Reflect Your Style

The best wedding invitations reflect the couple sending them. If you’re the type of people who chose a courthouse wedding because you value simplicity over spectacle, your invitations can reflect that same spirit. A clean design, honest wording, and just enough information to help your guests show up prepared: that’s all you need.

If you’re still choosing a wedding theme, let that guide your invitation design. A vintage-inspired theme pairs well with letterpress printing on textured stock. A modern, minimalist approach calls for clean typography and plenty of white space. Your invitations are the first piece of your wedding’s visual story.

Don’t let anyone tell you that a city hall wedding requires less of an invitation. Your guests are giving you their time and their presence on one of the most important days of your life. A thoughtful invitation, whether it arrives in a linen envelope or an inbox, honors that.

Don't forget the thank-you cards. After the wedding, timely thank-you notes close the loop on your wedding correspondence. Our guide on when to send wedding thank-you cards covers the timeline and what to write.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need formal invitations for a courthouse wedding?

Formal printed invitations are not required for a courthouse wedding. Many couples use digital invitations or even a well-worded text message for very small ceremonies with close family. The right format depends on your guest count and the level of formality you want. A wedding with fifteen or more guests benefits from a written invitation (printed or digital) that includes the date, time, address, and RSVP instructions.

How far in advance should I send courthouse wedding invitations?

Send invitations four to eight weeks before your ceremony date. Shorter timelines work for intimate gatherings where guests already know the date informally. If guests need to travel, six to eight weeks gives them time to book flights and accommodations. Save-the-dates, if you send them, should go out three to six months ahead.

Should I mention the dress code on a courthouse wedding invitation?

Yes. Courthouse weddings vary widely in formality, and guests often aren’t sure what to wear. A brief note like “cocktail attire” or “come as you are” removes the guesswork. Without guidance, some guests will overdress and others will underdress, which can create awkwardness for everyone.

Is it rude to send digital wedding invitations?

Digital wedding invitations are widely accepted and considered appropriate for courthouse ceremonies, casual weddings, and small gatherings. They save money, arrive instantly, and reduce paper waste. For guests who are less comfortable with technology (often older relatives), printing and mailing a few copies shows thoughtfulness without requiring a full printed run.

Can I invite some people to the ceremony and others only to the reception?

Yes. This is common for courthouse weddings where the ceremony room has a guest count limit. Invite your closest family and friends to the ceremony, then extend a broader invitation to the reception. Address each invitation clearly so guests know which events they’re invited to. Avoid the reverse (ceremony only, no reception), which can feel exclusionary.