How to get married in Houston
Getting married in Houston, the nation's fourth largest city, can be exciting and a bit daunting. Its year-round warm temperatures make any month a good option. To get married in Houston, you'll need to know how to navigate all the legal requirements for making it official in Houston and the surrounding areas.
We've got everything from the nitty-gritty of how to get legally married in Houston, to a few of our favorite Houston weddings, to special tips for how to save money in Houston.
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Tips for planning a wedding in Houston
Budget
Budgeting efficiently in Houston isn't too huge of a challenge, but you can it even more efficient by limiting your guest list, choosing off-season dates, and avoiding heavily trafficked weekends like the Chevron Houston Marathon in January, the Tour de Houston in March, Pride Houston in June, and the Houston International Jazz Festival in August. 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 Houston wedding budget:
- Look into non-traditional venues like 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
Houston has nearly year-round warm temperatures with June, October, and December being the most popular in terms of wedding planning. If you're worried about beating the heat in the warmer months, click here for some tips on staying cool.
How to get legally married in Houston
All couples who want to get married in Houston must obtain a marriage license. You'll want to see all of the documents and requirements you'll need to fulfill at the Harris County Clerk's Office.
Changing your name in Houston
If you're planning to change your name after the wedding, get a few copies of your marriage 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.
Houston wedding officiant requirements
Houston does not require minister registration before performing a marriage. If you're getting married outside of the city, you should always check with the local city or town clerk to check that your officiant can perform the wedding in that jurisdiction.
Offbeat Houston wedding vendors
You may think finding skilled wedding vendors in Houston is easy — it's a major city with an abundance of amazing venues! 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 Houston 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 Houston weddings
Take a peek at some of the most fun offbeat weddings in Houston. Don't forget to scroll to the bottom of each to find out who they chose for their Houston wedding vendors!
What did we miss about getting married in Houston?
Email us your wedding planning tips and favorite Houston vendors!
Ready to start planning a Houston 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: ShutterKey Photography; Jessica Rockowitz; Giang Vu; Matt Reiter; Cesira Alvarado; Melody Jacob