weddingA $60 license from the Bureau of Vital Statistics, a 3 day wait, and 90 days to use it. Here is every step, what a courthouse wedding costs, and how a $19,000 Alaska wedding compares.
Planning the day? Collect every guest photo with one QR code
Illustrative photos
The average Alaska wedding costs about 317 times the license. Bars use a log scale so the small fees stay visible.
License fee from Alaska official sources, see our Alaska requirements page. State and US averages: The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study.
Courthouse vows or a full reception, guests scan one QR code and add their photos from the phone browser. No app, no account, one shared album.
WEDDING ALBUM
Example album
From the Bureau of Vital Statistics counter to a recorded marriage, in the order you do it.
Both of you must be at least 18 (16 with court approval). You do not need to live in Alaska. No blood test.
Bring valid photo ID. If either of you was married before, have the date the last marriage ended. Your county may ask for more, so check its list before you go.
IllustrativeApply together at the Bureau of Vital Statistics and pay the license fee ($60).
Alaska has a waiting period: 3 days.
IllustrativeMinisters, priests, rabbis, or leaders of any religious organization (including a Salvation Army officer or the principal officer/elder of a denomination without regular clergy); judges, magistrates, and other judicial officers; marriage commissioners appointed by the state; or an individual holding elective public office in Alaska. Witnesses: 1 witness (18 or older). The license is valid for 90 days.
The signed license goes back to the issuing office to be recorded. Order certified copies for name changes, insurance and benefits.
Need the document list and county fees? See Alaska marriage license requirements or the national how to get a marriage license guide.
Apply no more than 90 days before, at least 3 days before.
| Rule | Alaska (2026) |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | Bureau of Vital Statistics |
| License fee | $60 in person ($73 if mailed) |
| Waiting period | 3 days |
| License valid for | 90 days |
| Minimum age | 18 (16 with court approval) |
| Witnesses | 1 witness (18 or older) |
| Officiant | Ministers, priests, rabbis, or leaders of any religious organization (including a Salvation Army officer or the principal officer/elder of a denomination without regular clergy); judges, magistrates, and other judicial officers; marriage commissioners appointed by the state; or an individual holding elective public office in Alaska. Alaska also allows a one-time marriage commissioner appointment for a friend or family member through the court system. |
| Common-law marriage | Not recognized |
Bureau of Vital Statistics
$60 in person ($73 if mailed)
3 days
90 days
18 (16 with court approval)
1 witness (18 or older)
Ministers, priests, rabbis, or leaders of any religious organization (including a Salvation Army officer or the principal officer/elder of a denomination without regular clergy); judges, magistrates, and other judicial officers; marriage commissioners appointed by the state; or an individual holding elective public office in Alaska. Alaska also allows a one-time marriage commissioner appointment for a friend or family member through the court system.
Not recognized
First dance
You guys!!
Courthouse or ballroom, guests scan one QR code and upload straight to your shared album. No app download, and every photo lands in one place.
From Mom
Scan to join the album
No app, no account
UPLOADING
THE ALBUM
June 21, 2026
647 photos · 95 guests
SCAN TO TRY
pix.wedding/
your-wedding
What one Alaska county charges, how booking works and how far ahead to plan, checked against the official page.
Source: Alaska Court System, marriage forms, checked October 2026. Other counties set their own rules and fees.
Courthouse column from the county source above. Wedding cost from The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study; venue and officiant lead times from Zola, 2026 wedding planning checklist. See courthouse wedding costs explained.
A short news report on couples choosing courthouse ceremonies as wedding costs rise. Worth two minutes before you weigh a civil ceremony against a $19,000 Alaska wedding.
Watch on YouTube
$60
is the license fee to marry in Alaska. The average wedding there runs $19,000.
Illustrative image, not a specific Alaska venue.Alaska comes in $15,200 under the US average. Rank 1 is the most expensive state.
State averages are the same figures as our wedding cost calculator. US average $34,200, per The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study.
Try 20 guest uploads free, no card. In USD, Starter is $49 once with QR templates and ZIP download, Standard is $59 with a live slideshow, and Pro is $89 with AI selfie search.
For collecting every original
Most couples pick this
One-time payment, no subscription
For big guest lists
One payment. Yours to keep. No subscription. No renewals. No surprise charges.
Secure checkout. Polar, Apple Pay, Google Pay.
Money-back guarantee: if your guests never upload a single photo, you get 100% back. See how it works
The license is the easy part. It only fits a short window before the day, while venues and photographers book many months out. Here is the national advice next to the Alaska license window.
Average engagement for couples who married in 2024
The Knot 2025 Real Weddings Study (via The Plumb Club)Of couples began planning about 12 months ahead
The Knot 2025 Real Weddings Study (via The Plumb Club)Bars show the advice range from Zola, 2026 wedding planning checklist (updated May 2026), dots the single figure from WeddingWire, vendor booking timeline (2018). These are planning advice, not survey data, and Zola gives two figures for some vendors (venue 11 months in its timeline, 12 to 18 in its FAQ). The license bar comes from Alaska rules.
Apply no more than 90 days before, at least 3 days before. The 3 days wait runs from when the license is issued.
Alaska license rules
IllustrativeAlaska has a 3 business day wait after you apply before the license can be picked up, so apply at least a week before your court date.
Dodge County, Wisconsin, County Clerk
IllustrativeZola puts the venue 12 to 18 months out, photographers and caterers 9 to 12, and save the dates 6 to 8. The license comes last, inside the Alaska window above. Zola's 2026 report also found a few couples now book a venue before they are even engaged (7%, up from 6%).
Zola First Look Report 2026
Illustrative photos: courthouse steps, regional settings and the guest shots couples collect afterwards.
of couples in The Knot 2025 Real Weddings Study married in October, the most popular month in the US. Your own state's peak can sit elsewhere, so check the strip.
The Knot Worldwide, 2025 Real Weddings Study releaseAlaska's outdoor wedding season is short. Mid-June through August is the prime window, with very long daylight and the mildest temperatures of the year. May and September are workable shoulder months with shorter days and less predictable rain. Winter weddings happen too, but they need a venue with real indoor capacity and careful guest travel planning.
Best month to get marriedMountain and forest settings are a common pick here.
Illustrative image, not a specific Alaska venue.
IllustrativeThe state's largest city offers mountain-view venues, botanical gardens, and urban lodges with easy access for guests.
IllustrativeGlacier-carved fjords, salmon-filled rivers, and wilderness lodges create a truly Alaskan experience.
IllustrativeRainforest-meets-ocean settings with glacier excursions and waterfront lodges accessible by air or ferry.
Alaska imposes a 3 day waiting period after the license is issued before the ceremony can take place. The $60 license is valid for 90 days. The waiting period can be waived by a judge or magistrate, which couples flying in for a tight itinerary often request. Apply at the Marriage License Bureau in Anchorage, Juneau, or your destination Borough Clerk.
Flights and lodging make up most of what an Alaska wedding costs your guests, which is why many couples keep the list small. Some couples cover part of guest travel or pick a single lodge so logistics stay simple. Compare summer fares into Anchorage, Juneau and Fairbanks early, since summer is peak travel season.
Often, yes, on public land. National forest and national park sites each set their own special use permit rules, and helicopter glacier landings run through tour operators that hold their own permits. Private lodges and venues handle their own grounds. Check with the land manager for your exact site before you book anything.
Alaska lets a friend or family member apply to the court system for a one-time marriage commissioner appointment, which gives them legal authority to officiate one specific ceremony. The appointment needs court approval before the wedding, so start the paperwork well ahead of your date. The role ends with that ceremony, and the signed license has to be returned as its instructions say.
IllustrativeAlaska's marriage license process has a few details destination couples should know. The fee is $60 in person ($73 if the application is mailed), there is a 3-day waiting period after you apply, and the license is valid for 90 days. If a tight itinerary makes the wait a problem, you can ask a judge or magistrate to waive it. One witness (18 or older) signs at the ceremony. Applicants under 18 face extra consent and court requirements, so check with the court system before you plan around a minor. Alaska also offers a one-time marriage commissioner appointment, which lets a friend or family member officiate a specific ceremony. It is a court appointment, not an ordination, so apply well before the wedding date.
Courthouse or full reception, guests scan one QR code and add photos and videos from the phone browser. No app and no account, and nothing gets lost in group chats.
Scan to join the album
No app, no account
UPLOADING
THE ALBUM
June 21, 2026
647 photos · 95 guests
Every document, fee and county rule in one place.
Where the $19,000 average goes, line by line.
Venue styles, prices and regions to tour.
Parks, gardens and weather windows.
Collect every guest photo with one QR code.
Everything you need to make your wedding day stress-free and unforgettable.
Plan your reception seating visually.
Track RSVPs and dietary needs.
Turn your total into a category-by-category plan.
Plan your entire wedding day.
Count down the days to your big day.
Month-by-month planning checklist.
15+ games with rules, supplies, and timing.
15 creative alternatives guests enjoy.
Short answers on cost, license, waiting period, courthouse and witnesses in Alaska.
The legal minimum is the marriage license: $60 in Alaska. A courthouse ceremony adds $25 (per a court form dated 2022, confirm when you book) in Anchorage (Third Judicial District). The average Alaska wedding runs about $19,000 per The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study, against a US average of $34,200. That ranks Alaska #44 of 50 states by average cost.
1. Check you can marry. 2. Gather your documents. 3. Apply at the Bureau of Vital Statistics. 4. Wait 3 days. 5. Hold the ceremony. 6. Return the license, order copies. The full step list is above.
A Alaska marriage license costs $60 in person ($73 if mailed). You apply at the Bureau of Vital Statistics.
Yes: 3 days. The license is valid for 90 days.
Yes. In Anchorage (Third Judicial District), state judges and magistrates perform civil ceremonies at the courthouse, scheduled in advance for $25 (per a court form dated 2022, confirm when you book). Ceremonies are scheduled with the court ahead of time. You need one witness age 18 or older. Rules differ by county, so call the office where you plan to marry.
Yes: 1 witness (18 or older). Ministers, priests, rabbis, or leaders of any religious organization (including a Salvation Army officer or the principal officer/elder of a denomination without regular clergy); judges, magistrates, and other judicial officers; marriage commissioners appointed by the state; or an individual holding elective public office in Alaska.
