Planning an intimate ceremony at the Thousand Oaks Civic Center? Surprisingly, you are not alone, there are so many couples that absolutely love and crave a small day at the courthouse and the stress free process of getting married at the Thousand Oaks Civic Center is truly amazing! Here is my guide I have created for those of you wondering how do I book a wedding at the Thousand Oaks Civic Center.

Step 1: FIND OUT WHERE THE CEREMONIES ARE PERFORMED

There are two locations within Ventura County that conduct these ceremonies. There is the Ventura Courthouse or the Thousand Oaks Civic Center (City Hall). For a seamless and easy process, actually getting married at the Thousand Oaks Civic Center is truly so awesome. Ventura Courthouse is also a simple process as well and perfect for couples coming from a little further North. Here is a Ventura Courthouse blog that helps you start that process as well.

Step 2: APPLY FOR A MARRIAGE LICENSE

You will need a California marriage license for the ceremony. You can start the process of getting your license either online or in person. You will need to make sure that both you and your fiancé are present. Below are a few other useful reminders for what to have/bring.

*Both parties present
*Make sure you each have a valid ID
*Pay for the license fee

There are usually two options with the license:

Public license (used more frequently for couples)
Confidential license (this is more private and you don’t need a witness)

Step 3: SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT FOR THE CEREMONY:

You should be able to get your license the same day as the ceremony so picking out the day to wed will likely also be the day you receive your marriage license. Most couples will book their appointment and ceremony ahead of time, not as a walk in for the Thousand Oaks Civic Center. Booking as soon as the courthouse will allow is best as these days sometimes book up quickly.

Step 4: PLAN THE DETAILS OF YOUR DAY

Although you are having a smaller day at the courthouse does not mean you can’t have some special details planned out, our couples love to add personalized aspects to their day and make it feel just as special as a full wedding.

Guest List:
Just because it is a smaller day doesn’t mean you can’t have guests with you- most of our couples bring at least 6 family or friends with them.

Witnesses:
The traditional license usually requires one witness, if you are keeping this as more of an elopement that works too and I am always happy to be your witness if needed.

What should you wear:
There is no dress code when it comes to a courthouse wedding. We have couples wear a more dressy causal look and then others who go flow blown wedding gown and tux and they both work perfectly.

Photography:
You can always bring in a professional photographer to document your day. Although it’s a smaller day, it is still special and your one day together and having someone with experience to capture these moments will make your wedding gallery and photos to look back on that much more special. I am super familiar with the Thousand Oaks Civic Center for photos and there are so many cute little spots to make your day feel chic and high end.

Purchase a Bouquet:

A real floral bouquet is everything and makes your wedding photos that much better! It also gives you something to hold onto in your photos which is truly life changing for your images!

Step 5: ARRIVE SLIGHTLY EARLY:

I always recommend arriving 5-10 minutes early for your appointment so that you can handle any hiccups that may come up or get a jump start on your paperwork.

When I am photographing special days at the Thousand Oaks Civic Center I generally arrive when the appointment starts so that I am there to document the ceremony. We end with documenting the couple together throughout the Thousand Oaks Civic Center grounds and any family/friends shots you may want. Some couples will also have me join for any celebration or lunch/dinner after for some extra candids!

Getting married at the courthouse is so special and they are always the best types of days. If you are interested in getting married at a Ventura County Courthouse, I hope this blog How Do I Book a Wedding at the Thousand Oaks Civic Center? was helpful.

If you are interested in having your day documented, let’s connect below!