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A number of West Coast couples are reportedly talking about expensive, lavish weddings these days. Instead, they prefer simple court ceremonies.
The demand for informal public ceremonies is causing a rush of weddings in municipal buildings in California, the Los Angeles Times reported recently.
“They will be picked up as soon as we release them,” Santa Barbara County Clerk Melinda Greene told the publication. “We have people from all over the world.”
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California courthouses fill up months in advance, with some couples taking last-minute reservations.
Elopement has evolved from “a breezy wedding to a legitimate social game,” reports the same publication.
There has been a surge in California courthouse weddings, according to a recent report – instead of expensive weddings at official venues. (Stock)
“It books up very quickly, you have to be online at the exact time [of day] you plan to find your moment,” Asha Marshall of So Fetch Photography told the Times. “A lot of my brides get stressed.”
Small weddings are reported to be on the rise due to social media encouraging couples to get married in places where celebrities have tied the knot.
Santa Barbara's Spanish Moorish revival court, for example, is the most sought-after location where Kamala Harris married Doug Emhoff and where Kourtney Kardashian tied the knot with Travis Barker.
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“We see dozens a day, starting at 8 o'clock in the morning,” Roy Lee, Santa Barbara County supervisor, told the Times.
San Francisco City Hall, where Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio were married in 1954, is the top venue for a courthouse wedding, according to the Times. This place hosts about 7,000 weddings a year.
Despite the rise of California courthouse weddings, couples are still spending big on their big day, data shows. (Stock)
This trend also coincides with Gen Z – those who are often referred to as those born between 1997 and 2012 – who are now entering their marriageable years.
The oldest members of Gen Z are reaching the age of 28 to get married, reported online wedding planning and registry company Zola, and this generation has become the main driver of the wedding industry.
Teen marriages are reportedly on the rise, thanks in part to social media.
“The wedding season of 2026 reflects the changing culture of this generation,” reports Zola in his “2026 Wedding Trends: First Look” report, a survey of more than 11,500 couples getting married in 2026.
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“Our couples use TikTok and AI in their daily lives, embrace both cocktails and mocktails and prioritize their mental health,” the report said.
While low-cost and formal civil weddings are popular in some areas, the average wedding cost is $36,000, according to Zola – and the number of guests is still around 145 people, the same as last year.
The average wedding costs $36,000 and includes 145 guests, recent data shows. (Stock)
“Even in the midst of economic turmoil, we see couples prioritizing the celebration they want over other financial goals,” reported the company. “The sentiment is clear: 85% of couples say their wedding will be worth every penny.”
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Bank of America said in June 2026 that “wedding-related spending has grown 8.5% year-to-date through 2026 … suggesting that higher prices have not completely dampened spending on that special day.”
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The report also found that consumers are spending less on formal wear at one point, while more economical, lab-grown diamonds continue to gain traction.
