Complete Wedding Guide
Getting Married in Arkansas: Complete Guide
Everything you need to know about marriage licenses, requirements, costs, and planning your wedding in Arkansas. Arkansas is a hidden gem for weddings, featuring the Ozark Mountains, natural hot springs, and charming small-town venues at some of the lowest prices in the country.
Arkansas weddings often pair Ozark mountain scenery with woodland chapel ceremonies and weekend itineraries built around small towns like Eureka Springs and Hot Springs. The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville is an unexpectedly striking venue choice, and it hosts weddings with its own culinary team and a dedicated event coordinator. Arkansas has no waiting period for applicants 18 and older, but the officiant's credentials must be recorded with an Arkansas county clerk before the ceremony, which matters for couples bringing an officiant from out of state.
Arkansas Marriage License Requirements
Arkansas has no witness requirement. Couples under 18 but at least 17 can marry with parental consent (notarized affidavit from both parents/guardian) plus a 5-business-day waiting period; there is no waiting period for applicants 18 or older. Arkansas raised the minimum age with parental consent from 16 to 17 via HB1708, signed into law on April 18, 2019. Arkansas does not recognize common law marriages formed within the state (though it recognizes valid common law marriages formed in other states/jurisdictions under Ark. Code Ann. 9-11-107).
Who Can Officiate a Wedding in Arkansas?
The Governor; any former Arkansas Supreme Court justice; judges of courts of record (including qualifying former judges); justices of the peace (including qualifying former justices of the peace); any regularly ordained minister or priest of a religious sect or denomination; qualifying former or current mayors; any official appointed for that purpose by the county quorum court; and qualifying elected or former district/municipal court judges. Officiants must register their credentials with the county clerk before performing a ceremony. Notaries public cannot officiate in Arkansas.
Wedding Costs in Arkansas
Average Wedding Cost
$23,500
This includes venue, catering, photography, attire, and other typical wedding expenses in Arkansas.
Average Guest Count
140
The typical Arkansas wedding hosts 140 guests. Plan your seating, catering, and photo sharing accordingly.
Best Seasons
Spring, Fall
The most popular seasons to get married in Arkansas. Book venues early during peak season.
First dance
You guys!!
Every Arkansas wedding leaves photos scattered on a dozen phones
One free QR album pulls them all together. Guests scan, upload, done. No app to install.
From Mom
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No app, no account
UPLOADING
Saving your moment
THE ALBUM
Emma & Jack
June 21, 2026
647 photos · 95 guests
SCAN TO TRY
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your-wedding
Popular Wedding Regions in Arkansas
Northwest Arkansas
Bentonville and Fayetteville offer trendy arts districts, crystal bridges, and Ozark Mountain backdrops.
Hot Springs
Historic bathhouse row, lakefront venues, and resort-style properties surrounded by national forest.
Little Rock
The capital city features riverfront venues, botanical gardens, and restored historic buildings.
Top Wedding Venues in Arkansas
First dance
You guys!!
Planning a Arkansas wedding? Collect every guest photo in one album
Free QR photo album your guests use without an app. 20 uploads free, no card.
From Mom
Scan to join the album
No app, no account
UPLOADING
Saving your moment
THE ALBUM
Emma & Jack
June 21, 2026
647 photos · 95 guests
SCAN TO TRY
pix.wedding/
your-wedding
How to Get Married in Arkansas: Step by Step
Apply for Your Marriage License
Visit the County Clerk in Arkansas with your partner. Bring valid photo ID (driver's license or passport), proof of age, and the license fee of $60. Both partners must appear in person.
Wait None for applicants 18 or older; 5 business days for underage applicants (17, with parental consent)
After receiving your license, you must wait None for applicants 18 or older; 5 business days for underage applicants (17, with parental consent) before the ceremony. Your license is valid for 60 days after issuance, so plan your ceremony date within that window.
Choose Your Officiant
In Arkansas, your wedding can be officiated by the governor; any former arkansas supreme court justice; judges of courts of record (including qualifying former judges); justices of the peace (including qualifying former justices of the peace); any regularly ordained minister or priest of a religious sect or denomination; qualifying former or current mayors; any official appointed for that purpose by the county quorum court; and qualifying elected or former district/municipal court judges. Make sure your officiant is properly authorized before the ceremony.
Hold Your Ceremony
Have your ceremony at your chosen Arkansas venue. Arkansas does not require witnesses, though many couples still choose to have them.
File Your Marriage Certificate
After the ceremony, your officiant will sign the marriage license and return it to the County Clerk. Once filed, you will receive your official marriage certificate. This is your legal proof of marriage.
Arkansas Wedding Planning Tips
Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs seats up to 100 guests in its pews, so couples with a larger guest list should plan on a separate reception venue
Spring brings beautiful dogwood and redbud blooms perfect for outdoor ceremony photos
Arkansas pricing is well below national average, making it great for budget-conscious couples
Arkansas has no waiting period and a $60 fee, making same-day ceremonies possible for couples eloping in Bentonville, Eureka Springs, or Hot Springs.
Explore Arkansas Wedding Venues
Browse our guide to the best wedding venues across Arkansas.
Wedding Photo Sharing in Arkansas
Learn how to collect every guest photo at your Arkansas wedding.
What Makes Getting Married in Arkansas Unique
Arkansas weddings pair Ozark and Ouachita mountain scenery with small-town weekend itineraries that give guests something to do beyond the ceremony. Bentonville is home to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, which hosts weddings with private access to its art galleries. Eureka Springs brings a Victorian downtown and Thorncrown Chapel, a glass and wood chapel in the woods. Hot Springs combines historic Bathhouse Row with Anthony Chapel at Garvan Woodland Gardens on the shore of Lake Hamilton, and Mount Magazine, the state's highest point, adds a state park lodge wedding with long valley views. Spring bloom and Ozark fall color are the marquee seasonal moments, and the legal side is quick for adults: no waiting period at 18 and older, and no witnesses required.
Arkansas recorded 7.8 marriages per 1,000 residents in 2023, about half its 2000 rate of 15.4. The CDC counts marriages by the state where they take place, so couples who travel to Arkansas to marry are included in that figure.
Source: CDC/NCHS, National Vital Statistics System: Marriage rates by State, 1990, 1995, and 2000-2023, 2023
Arkansas Marriage Law: What You Need to Know
Arkansas keeps the license process simple for adults: a $60 fee at any county clerk's office, no waiting period for applicants 18 or older, no residency requirement and no witnesses. Both applicants must appear together with a government-issued photo ID. Officiants authorized under Ark. Code 9-11-213 include regularly ordained ministers or priests of any religious sect or denomination, judges of courts of record, justices of the peace, the Governor, qualifying current or former mayors and officials appointed by the county quorum court; notaries public are not on the list. Ministers must record their credentials with an Arkansas county clerk before performing a ceremony. Arkansas raised the minimum age with parental consent from 16 to 17 via HB1708, signed into law on April 18, 2019. A 17-year-old needs both parents present with a notarized affidavit of consent, and the license cannot be picked up until a 5-business-day waiting period has passed, even though adult applicants have none. After the ceremony, the license goes back to the issuing clerk for recording within 60 days of issuance.
Signature Arkansas Wedding Angles
Verified Places to Get Married in Arkansas
Each venue below was checked against its own website. The notes cover planning details only, so confirm dates and current rules directly with the venue.
Eureka Springs, AR
Seats up to 100 guests in pews. Reservations run 2 hours, with a 1.5-hour option Monday through Thursday, and a chapel minister is included or you may bring your own. Only artificial flowers are allowed in the aisle, and confetti, birdseed and dried petals are not allowed inside or outside.
Hot Springs, AR
Seats 200 under a vaulted glass ceiling at the University of Arkansas botanical garden on Lake Hamilton. The chapel typically books in 3-hour slots (10 AM to 1 PM, 1:30 to 4:30 PM, or 5 to 8 PM), a one-hour rehearsal is included, and guests of 3-hour rentals get free entry to the gardens that day.
Bentonville, AR
Weddings include exclusive catering by the museum's culinary team, a dedicated event coordinator, a complimentary food and beverage tasting, private access to the art galleries and use of the grounds for photos.
Little Rock, AR
Offers several wedding rooms by size: the Ballroom for up to 150 guests, Brooks & Baxter for up to 100, Cherokee & Quapaw for up to 75 and the Capital Cellar for private dinners of up to 20.
Mount Magazine State Park, Paris, AR
Sits at Arkansas' highest point, 2,753 feet, with views of the Petit Jean River Valley. The conference space opens up for banquet seating for up to 192 people, and the lodge has 60 guest rooms plus 13 cabins for overnight guests.
Arkansas Wedding Season: What Locals Know
Spring and fall carry the Arkansas wedding calendar. Redbud and dogwood bloom make spring ceremonies popular, and Ozark fall color arrives later in the autumn, with peak timing that shifts every year and with elevation, so treat peak leaves as a bonus rather than the reason for a date. Summer heat and humidity push many couples indoors or into evening ceremonies from late June through August. Winter weddings are less common, but covered chapels like Thorncrown and Anthony Chapel keep the ceremony comfortable in any season while still giving guests a wooded view.
Arkansas-Specific Wedding Questions
What does an Arkansas marriage license cost and how fast can we get one?
The fee is $60 at the county clerk's office. Both applicants must apply in person together with a government-issued photo ID, and Pulaski County does not accept a power of attorney. There is no waiting period for applicants 18 or older, no blood test and no residency requirement. Pulaski County issues licenses Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., so plan the courthouse stop before a weekend ceremony, and return the license to the issuing clerk within 60 days of issuance.
Can an out-of-state or online-ordained friend officiate an Arkansas wedding?
Arkansas law (Ark. Code 9-11-213) authorizes any regularly ordained minister or priest of a religious sect or denomination, along with judges, justices of the peace and certain other officials. The practical step people miss is paperwork: the Pulaski County Clerk states that ministers performing marriages in Arkansas must have their credentials recorded with a county clerk's office in Arkansas before the ceremony. If your officiant was ordained online or lives in another state, have them contact the county clerk well before the wedding to record their credentials and confirm what documents the clerk will accept.
Which Arkansas towns work best for a destination wedding weekend?
Four towns cover most destination plans. Eureka Springs has Thorncrown Chapel and a Victorian downtown for the rest of the weekend. Hot Springs pairs Hot Springs National Park and Bathhouse Row with Anthony Chapel at Garvan Woodland Gardens. Bentonville centers on the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and Little Rock offers historic hotel ballrooms like The Capital Hotel. Pick the town that fits your guest list first, then look for lodging nearby, since chapel ceremonies at Thorncrown and Anthony Chapel run in set time slots and receptions often happen at a separate venue.
Does Arkansas recognize common-law marriage?
Arkansas does not allow a common-law marriage to be formed within the state, so couples who live together in Arkansas are not married without a license and a ceremony. Under Ark. Code 9-11-107, Arkansas does recognize a marriage that was valid where it was entered, which can include a valid common-law marriage formed in a state that allows one. Couples in that situation who plan a formal Arkansas ceremony should ask an attorney whether a new license changes anything for them.
Why a QR Guest Album Fits an Arkansas Wedding Weekend
Arkansas weddings often spread across more than one place: a ceremony at Thorncrown or Anthony Chapel booked in a set time slot, a reception at a separate venue, and a weekend of guests exploring Eureka Springs, Hot Springs or Bentonville. The photos end up split across guests' phones and group chats. A Pix Wedding QR guest album gives everyone one place to put them: guests scan the code on a table card or program, upload photos and videos from their phone browser with no app to install, and can keep adding shots from the rehearsal dinner through the Sunday send-off.
See Arkansas photo sharingPopular Wedding Searches in Arkansas
Wedding Guides for Other States
Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Marriage laws and requirements can change. Always verify current requirements with your local County Clerk in Arkansas before making plans. Last reviewed: 2026.
Arkansas Marriage & Wedding FAQ
Everything you need to know about our free tools and how they help your wedding day.
A marriage license in Arkansas costs $60. You can apply at the County Clerk. No residency requirement, so out-of-state couples can apply as well.
Arkansas has a None for applicants 18 or older; 5 business days for underage applicants (17, with parental consent) waiting period after the marriage license is issued before the ceremony can take place. The license is valid for 60 days after issuance.
The Governor; any former Arkansas Supreme Court justice; judges of courts of record (including qualifying former judges); justices of the peace (including qualifying former justices of the peace); any regularly ordained minister or priest of a religious sect or denomination; qualifying former or current mayors; any official appointed for that purpose by the county quorum court; and qualifying elected or former district/municipal court judges. Officiants must register their credentials with the county clerk before performing a ceremony. Notaries public cannot officiate in Arkansas.
The minimum age to marry without parental consent in Arkansas is 18. A 17-year-old can marry with parental consent after a five business day waiting period. A 16-year-old can marry only if pregnant or already a parent, with a circuit court order plus parental consent, and no one under 16 can marry.
The most popular wedding seasons in Arkansas are Spring and Fall. During these windows, top venues in regions like Northwest Arkansas and Hot Springs book out months in advance. Fall weddings benefit from cooler temperatures and, in some regions, stunning foliage color.
The average wedding in Arkansas costs $23,500 with an average guest count of 140. Spring and Fall are the most popular seasons for weddings in Arkansas. Popular wedding regions include Northwest Arkansas, Hot Springs, Little Rock.
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