How do you get married at the Santa Barbara Courthouse?

Mar 28

Is there anything more iconic than a Santa Barbara Courthouse wedding? Arguably one of the most beautiful public buildings in the country, with its Spanish-Colonial style red tile roof, gorgeous clock tower, and lush Sunken Gardens, it really is something to behold. So much so that it is quite the popular venue for wedding ceremonies, small or large. The meticulously maintained Sunken Gardens can hold up to 250 people for your special day!

Now that I have you interested, you may be wondering:

How do you get married at the Santa Barbara Courthouse?

Well as luck would have it, you’ve stumbled across the right place! Here is the breakdown of just what you need in order to have your own Santa Barbara Courthouse wedding:

Pick a date (or two or three)!
- The Courthouse offers the following 3-hour time slots in the Gardens. Please note these times include set-up to exit.
  1. 11am to 2pm
  2. 3pm to 6pm
Check the Courthouse’s calendar here to ensure your dates line up with their availability.
- Insider tip: More dates are being added as the county is updating the website frequently - if there is a question regarding dates you don’t see available, you can email: weddingvenues@countyofsb.org
Download the application here, fill it out, and send it to weddingvenues@countyofsb.org along with your preferred date(s).
Pay the Application Fee and Facility Fee
- Cost: $1,100 ($200 non-refundable reservation fee plus $900 site fee)
- **In order to be locked into the schedule it is required the application be signed, dated, and initialed with the full payment.
You did it! You are now set to get married at the Santa Barbara Courthouse!

It’s as simple as that. Now as far as the rest of the planning involved, we recommend reaching out to some awesome professionals who can assist you along the way - and sure enough, you can check all of them out right here in our vendor directory!

Want more information about renting out this iconic location? Read our Location Spotlight HERE.
Get inspired by perusing through these real courthouse weddings we’ve featured on the blog!