planning a Atlanta Wedding

What To Know First

• Both people must appear in person at the Fulton County Probate Court with current ID to get a marriage license, and the license does not expire. Source.
• If neither person lives in Georgia, the license must come from the county where the ceremony happens. Source.
• The Fulton County license fee is $68.50, or $28.50 with a certificate from a qualified premarital education program. Source.
• Georgia no longer requires premarital blood tests. Source.
• The Atlanta History Center books elopements and vow renewals up to 3 months ahead and ceremony only rentals up to 5 months ahead. Source.

How I Would Pick The Time

Set the ceremony from the sunset, not the other way around. Portraits start about an hour before it, and twenty minutes right at sunset is worth more than an hour at noon.

Elopement, Micro Wedding Or Small Wedding

Venues use these words differently, so read the guest count, not the name. In this guide an elopement means the couple and a handful of people, a micro wedding means about fifty or fewer, and a small wedding means up to about one hundred and fifty. The Atlanta History Center, for one, counts the couple, the officiant and the photographer inside its elopement limit of twenty.

Book The Day Of The Week

Several small packages here only run on certain days. Some are weekday or daytime only, and some are Fridays and Sundays only, because Saturdays go to full weddings. If your date is a Saturday in spring or fall, ask first whether the small package is allowed that day.

How Far Ahead

Small packages often open later than full weddings. Some venues only take elopements a few months out, so they can sell the date to a large wedding first. That is good news if you are planning fast.

A Sample Small Day, Built From The Sunset

• Getting ready together or apart in a room with a big window, about four hours before sunset.
• A first look and portraits of the two of you, about three hours before sunset.
• Family photographs right after, which go quickly with a short list.
• The ceremony about ninety minutes before sunset.
• Dinner at one long table, with toasts as the courses come out.
• Ten minutes outside at golden hour, then back for dessert.

Questions For Every Small Venue

• Is our small package allowed on the date and day we want?
• Is the space private to us, or open to the public or other diners?
• Does the guest limit count the officiant and the photographer?
• Is there a food and beverage minimum, and what counts toward it?
• Where can we take portraits, and for how long?