How to get married in Dallas
Getting married in Dallas and Fort Worth is super popular and it's easy to see why. The expansive Northern Texas area is FULL of unique wedding venues, exciting places to fill out a whole wedding weekend, and tons of amazing locales and outdoor opportunities for your guests with tons of sunshine all year round. You'll need to know how to navigate all the legal requirements for making it official in Dallas, Forth Worth, and the surrounding suburbs like Arlington, Irving, and Plano.
We've got everything from the nitty-gritty of how to get legally married in Dallas, to a few of our favorite Dallas weddings, to special tips for how to save money in Dallas.
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Tips for planning a wedding in Dallas
Budget
Budgeting efficiently in Dallas is key as it is one of the most expensive cities in the United States to get married. But you can totally cut your costs by limiting your guest list, choosing off-season dates, and avoiding heavily trafficked weekends like the Cowtown Marathon in February and Megafest in late June. Check with your venue AND local hotels to see if there any big events that could cause you issues with pricing, parking, and hotel block rates.
Ways to save in your Dallas wedding budget:
- Look into non-traditional venues like renaissance fairs — or even restaurants, for hosting smaller gatherings.
- Choose in-season flowers for your decor OR opt for no flowers and decorate with items that mean something to you instead (board games? Funko Pop?)
- Prioritize what's important to you and minimize the rest: if great food and a good photographer are important, see if you can skip things like a limo, a huge cake, and expensive favors.
Weather
Dallas has hot subtropical weather, but summer thunderstorms are common. From November to February, highs reach the low 60s while in March, April, and October temps in the high 70s and 80s. Watch out for those steamy summer months, though. If you're worried about beating the heat in warmer months, click here for some tips on staying cool.
How to get legally married in Dallas
All couples who want to get married in Dallas and all of Texas must obtain a marriage license. You don’t need to be a state resident, but both partners will need a valid photo ID. You'll want to see all of the documents and requirements you'll need to fulfill at the Dallas County Clerk's Office.
Changing your name in Dallas
If you're planning to change your name after the wedding, get a few copies of your license to have on hand when obtaining your new documents. Hit up your local Social Security office, update your Passport, head to the DMV, and update your voter registration.
Dallas wedding officiant requirements
Dallas does not require minister registration before performing a marriage, though it varies by the town in the rest of the state. You should always check with the local city or town clerk to check that your officiant can perform the wedding in that jurisdiction. Call the city or town clerk’s office where you intend to get married.
Offbeat Dallas wedding vendors
You may think finding skilled wedding vendors in Dallas and Fort Worth is easy — it's a huge area after all! But you may be overwhelmed with options and might have to do some research to find vendors who work with all budgets and all styles. You can find offbeat-friendly Dallas and greater Texas wedding vendors in our Vendor Guide. Don't miss our online vendors, too, for honeymoon registries, stationery, gifts, ketubahs, rings, guests books, wedding websites, and more.
Some of our favorite Dallas weddings
Take a peek at some of the most fun offbeat weddings in Dallas. Don't forget to scroll to the bottom of each to find out who they chose for their Dallas wedding vendors!
- A colorful cake, four wedding pups, & lookalike piñatas at this Dallas wedding
- Live out all your corsetted fantasies with these Dallas wedding pics
- Merlin's beard! A magical gay Huffleclaw wedding under the sea
- We LOVE the dichotomy of this Chinese-cowboy New York and Texas karaoke wedding
- Try not to laugh and cry along with this joyful teary wedding
- Andrea & Patrick's enchanted tiki and karaoke wedding
What did we miss about getting married in Dallas?
Email us your wedding planning tips and favorite Dallas vendors!
Ready to start planning a Dallas wedding? Head to our Tools page for wedding planning resources, our big planning checklist, editable planning spreadsheets, and TONS of wedding planning help and info.
Photo credits: Pink Light Images & Scarborough Renaissance Festival; Ashton Kelley Photography; Fourwalls Photography; Amy Peterson Photography; K & S Photography; Mary Cyrus