weddingA $45 to $51 license from the Recorder of Deeds, no waiting period, and 30 days to use it. Here is every step, what a courthouse wedding costs, and how a $26,000 Missouri wedding compares.
Planning the day? Collect every guest photo with one QR code
Illustrative photos
The average Missouri wedding costs about 578 times the license. Bars use a log scale so the small fees stay visible.
License fee from Missouri official sources, see our Missouri 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 Recorder of Deeds counter to a recorded marriage, in the order you do it.
Both of you must be at least 18 (no exceptions). You do not need to live in Missouri. 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 Recorder of Deeds and pay the license fee ($45 to $51).
There is no waiting period, so you can marry the day the license is issued.
IllustrativeOrdained ministers, priests, rabbis, and religious leaders. Witnesses: 2 witnesses. The license is valid for 30 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 Missouri marriage license requirements or the national how to get a marriage license guide.
Apply no more than 30 days before.
| Rule | Missouri (2026) |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | Recorder of Deeds |
| License fee | $45 to $51, varies by county |
| Waiting period | None |
| License valid for | 30 days |
| Minimum age | 18 (no exceptions) |
| Witnesses | 2 witnesses |
| Officiant | Ordained ministers, priests, rabbis, and religious leaders. Judges of any court, associate circuit judges, and magistrates. Religious societies can appoint their own officiants. |
| Common-law marriage | Not recognized |
Recorder of Deeds
$45 to $51, varies by county
None
30 days
18 (no exceptions)
2 witnesses
Ordained ministers, priests, rabbis, and religious leaders. Judges of any court, associate circuit judges, and magistrates. Religious societies can appoint their own officiants.
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 Missouri county charges, how booking works and how far ahead to plan, checked against the official page.
Source: St. Louis County, Arranging a Court House Ceremony, 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 $26,000 Missouri wedding.
Watch on YouTube
$45 to $51
is the license fee to marry in Missouri. The average wedding there runs $26,000.
Illustrative image, not a specific Missouri venue.Missouri comes in $8,200 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 Missouri 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 Missouri rules.
Apply no more than 30 days before. There is no waiting period, so you can marry the day it is issued.
Missouri license rules
IllustrativeMissouri licenses must be used within 30 days of issue, so pick yours up within a month of your Wednesday.
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 Missouri 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 releaseMissouri weddings peak from late April through May and again from September through October. Summer humidity is heavy in both St. Louis and Kansas City from late June through August. Fall color makes late October weekends in the Ozarks popular, so book early. Winter weddings move to hotel ballrooms.
Best month to get marriedBarns, ranches and open country set the look for many weddings here.
Illustrative image, not a specific Missouri venue.
IllustrativeThe Gateway City features the Arch, historic neighborhoods, breweries, and a vibrant arts scene.
IllustrativeBBQ capital of the world with jazz heritage, fountains, and a booming downtown.
IllustrativeLake of the Ozarks, Hermann wine country, and rolling hills with natural beauty.
No. The license fee runs $45 to $51 depending on the county, and the license is valid for 30 days. There is no blood test or residency rule. Both applicants apply at a county recorder of deeds office, and two witnesses are required.
Yes. The wine towns along the Missouri River between Hermann and Defiance have many wineries, and several host weddings. Ask each winery about rain plans, guest limits and catering rules, and book fall harvest weekends early.
Lake of the Ozarks is busiest from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Dockside receptions and boat-access ceremony sites set the look. Late September and October bring quieter water and often better rates; ask each resort.
In Missouri the county recorder of deeds issues marriage licenses and records them. Couples visit the recorder's office, pay the $45 to $51 fee and can marry the same day, since there is no waiting period. The completed license goes back to the same office after the ceremony.
IllustrativeMissouri has no waiting period, no residency requirement and no blood test. The license fee ranges from $45 to $51 by county, the license is valid for 30 days, and both applicants apply at a county recorder of deeds office. Two witnesses are required. The minimum marriage age is 18. Missouri abolished common-law marriage in 1921. Clergy and judges can officiate; there is no self-uniting option.
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 $26,000 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 Missouri.
The legal minimum is the marriage license: $45 to $51 in Missouri. A courthouse or civil ceremony adds a small fee that varies by county. The average Missouri wedding runs about $26,000 per The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study, against a US average of $34,200. That ranks Missouri #29 of 50 states by average cost.
1. Check you can marry. 2. Gather your documents. 3. Apply at the Recorder of Deeds. 4. No waiting period. 5. Hold the ceremony. 6. Return the license, order copies. The full step list is above.
A Missouri marriage license costs $45 to $51, varies by county. You apply at the Recorder of Deeds.
No. You can marry the day you get the license. The license is valid for 30 days.
Yes. In St. Louis County (Clayton), 21st Judicial Circuit judges perform civil ceremonies on Wednesday afternoons at the Clayton courthouse. Wednesdays only. Registration opens at noon on the third floor and the ceremony starts at 1 p.m. Wedding line: 314-615-8029. Rules differ by county, so call the office where you plan to marry.
Yes: 2 witnesses. Ordained ministers, priests, rabbis, and religious leaders.
