North Carolina 2025 Wedding Officiant Requirements: How to Elope, Officially
Discover the essential officiant requirements for legally eloping in North Carolina, so you can say ‘I do’ with confidence and ease, no matter where your adventure takes you.
When you choose to elope (in North Carolina, sure, but truly anywhere), there’s often a whirlwind of exciting choices that rush toward you almost immediately.
Who’s invited to your elopement? Where in the world will your elopement take place? What will you wear? Which North Carolina elopement photographer will capture your day?
Making these decisions is exhilarating and important, but often, couples check these boxes and answer these questions without acknowledging one of the most important ones of all: how do you legally get married in North Carolina on their elopement day?
Every country, every state, and even every county has different rules about what’s legally required to get officially married on your wedding day.
As an experienced Asheville elopement photographer and North Carolina native, I figured it was high time to make this as seamless as possible to get the answers you needed. So, I created a go-to guide for the official rules of how to elope in North Carolina.
I’m here (by the power vested in me and this blog) to share all the answers you need and possibly answer some of the questions you didn’t even know you had.
Key Takeaways:
Know the Legal Basics : To legally elope in North Carolina, you need a valid marriage license, a recognized officiant, and two witnesses. You can get your license from any county, and it must be returned within 10 days after the ceremony.
Hire the Right Officiant : Choose an officiant who’s legally qualified and matches your vibe—whether it’s a traditional minister or an adventurous officiant willing to hike with you.
Get Support From A Pro : Find an elopement photographer who gets your story and can help make your day feel authentic while guiding you through the legal and logistical details.
How to Elope in North Carolina: The Go-To Guide You’ve Been Looking For
I’ve always loved North Carolina for its beautiful and diverse landscape. There’s something magical about wandering through the forested mountains, high above the clouds (or in them if you’re here during one of the state’s moody days).
But I don’t just love North Carolina as an elopement destination for its striking beauty; I love it because it’s one of the states that makes it relatively easy to legally elope.
Though some states out there have a simpler process (I’m looking at you, Colorado–a state that lets couples self-solemnize without officiants or witnesses), North Carolina truly doesn’t overcomplicate it. With just a few quick requirements checked off, you can pretty much elope anywhere you and your partner desire.
This guide spells out everything you need to know about eloping in North Carolina–from the step-by-step process and officiant requirements to elopement FAQs and elopement photographer considerations.
How to Officially Get Married in North Carolina
Before we dive into the logistics, I want to offer any couple reading this a quick disclaimer. The day you get married can look and feel any way you want it to look and feel – and if that doesn’t include dealing with paperwork, witnesses, and officiants, that’s OK.
You can elope in the mountains of North Carolina and have that count as your wedding day, but choose to deal with the paperwork at a later time.
That being said, a lot of couples want to be legally married on the day they say I do. If you’re curious about the step-by-step process of how to elope in North Carolina, here’s the legal stuff all spelled out in one, simple spot for you.
✓⃝ To get legally married in North Carolina, you must have an official marriage license, a recognized officiant, and two witnesses to sign your marriage certificate.
✓⃝ Your marriage license must be obtained before your wedding. Thankfully, there’s no waiting period between when you pick up your license and when you get married, but it does expire after 60 days.
✓⃝ You’ll need to get your marriage license from any county in the state. Depending on the county, you might be able to file for your license online and save an in-person trip (but check in advance with the specific county). Here’s the Buncombe County application!
✓⃝ Of course, you’ll have to pay a bit of a fee to file for your license!
✓⃝ You’ll need to return your marriage license to the Register of Deeds within 10 days of your wedding to make things official! Some officiants will do this for you, others might not–it’s important to ask yours what they offer.
Choosing the Right NC Wedding Officiant: What to Consider
OK, so you read the part above about needing an officiant to make sure things are legal, right? The good news is this isn’t as complicated as it might sound.
According to North Carolina, their definition of a qualified “officiant” is:
A magistrate
A minister ordained in any religious denomination
Ministers authorized by a church
Officials of any religious denomination that do not use officiants, such as federally or state-recognized Indian Nations of Tribes
Choosing an officiant for your wedding day doesn’t have to be an overwhelming or stressful decision. There are plenty of officiants you can hire to join you and your soon-to-be-spouse at any location you choose–whether you’re hiking up to your Max Patch elopement or planning your Blue Ridge Parkway wedding.
In my experience, there are a few important considerations to mull over with your spouse when choosing which wedding officiant is right for you. Keep reading to tackle a few of the most crucial questions you and your partner should ask of your wedding officiant.
The Legal Stuff Matters— They Have to Be Ordained
First things first, you have to ask the most important question: “Is this person legally allowed to marry us in North Carolina?” Run through the list I shared with you above and make sure they check one of those boxes. If you’re not sure, ask the officiant directly–they should have documentation and all the legal information you need to make sure they’re legally recognized as a wedding officiant in the state.
Before you ask, let’s tackle one of the most commonly asked questions in this area of elopement legality–can an online minister act as our wedding officiant in North Carolina? The question might be straightforward, but the answer is… a little more complicated than that.
This back ‘n’ forth always pops up when we start talking about the validity of marriages performed by the Universal Life Church, an organization that’s made it relatively easy for people to be “ordained” on their site rather quickly. I can’t speak for every county, but here’s what I’ve confirmed with my lawyer in Buncombe County: wedding ceremonies performed by ULC ministers are presumed to be valid.
In short, this means that they won’t be rejected by the Register of Deeds or SSA. But there’s a catch– they are still technically voidable by a judge. So, it’s not illegal, invalid, or unrecognized by the state. By all accounts, this won’t mess up anything in your day-to-day life. Things get tricky later on if divorce is ever on the table. (I know it’s taboo to mention divorce, but it’s an important thing to know!)
Here’s the rub: if you get married solely by someone who is ordained online by the Universal Life Church, someone in your partnership could deem your marriage as invalidated down the line if they wanted to. The summary of this? It’s not illegal and unrecognized, but it’s not completely unproblematic, either.
Ultimately, what you choose is completely up to you (and I support you every step of the way). Knowing all the facts is the best way to make the decision that makes the most sense for the two of you.
The Wedding Officiant’s Personality & Attitude
Once you’ve tackled the legal, official stuff, you can start having fun with choosing your officiant. When interviewing and meeting wedding officiants, think about how you want them to act on your wedding day. How do you want the day to feel? What’s important to you as a couple?
Are you both unserious and silly? Do you prefer someone who’s a bit more sentimental and stoic? There’s no wrong answer here; it’s totally up to the kind of officiant (and the kind of day) you want to have.
Cultural and Religious Considerations
What do you want the flow of your wedding ceremony to include? Are you planning on incorporating important religious elements? Key things from your culture that are significant to you?
Choosing an officiant who’s well-versed in these things can make your elopement day feel a bit more seamless and stress-free because you can count on them to know how to incorporate what’s important to you.
The Style, Length, and Flow of Your Elopement Ceremony
Before you can choose a wedding officiant, you and your partner should discuss the style of your ceremony, how long you’d like it to be, and how you want it to feel. Do you want a day that’s filled with traditional elements? Something a bit more non-traditional? Or maybe a blend of the two (that’s allowed, you know!).
Then, and only then, should you start seeking out officiants. Think of choosing a wedding officiant like solving an equation – if you want to solve for X (the officiant), you need the other important information first! Discuss what’s most important to you both, and how you want the ceremony to go; then tackle finding the officiant that fits that equation.
Day-of Logistics and Accessibility
This conversation becomes more important depending on where and how you’re choosing to elope. If you’re having your elopement ceremony somewhere accessible, most officiants should be prepared to take part in your elopement ceremony. This conversation changes a bit if you and your partner want to have your elopement ceremony a few miles into a gorgeous North Carolina mountain hike.
Make sure you talk this through with your officiant of choice to make sure they’re prepared and ready for a ceremony in the mountains (and that they’re up to your style of adventure). If you’re having trouble finding a wedding officiant who’s down to tackle an elopement adventure, ask your Asheville elopement photographer for advice (that’s me; I’ve got plenty of recommendations!)
“I was a bride with a thousand and one questions and Kathryn answered every last one of them with grave detail! Her over all energy is amazing and truly made the process that much easier over all.”
— Destiny & Justin
The Must-Know NC Elopement & Micro-Wedding Paperwork
(Legal FAQs)
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Technically, yes. Earlier in the blog, we talked about how there’s been some controversy around ULC-ordained folks and whether their ceremonies are valid.
The short answer: They’re valid, but they’re technically voidable by a judge.
So, yes, your marriage is valid, but it could cause problems down the line if divorce is ever on the table. To make things as legal as possible, the best route is to either be married by a magistrate at the courthouse or find someone who is officially ordained and recognized by the state.
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It sure is! Whether you’re having a micro-wedding in Asheville with your closest loved ones or a just-us day at the peak of a Western NC mountain, you can legally marry the love of your life wherever and however you choose.
To make sure you’re tackling the “legal” part, though, you’ll need to ensure you’ve got a valid marriage license, a state-approved wedding officiant, and two witnesses to sign your marriage license.
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You do! Though some other states (like Colorado) let couples self-solemnize without witnesses or officiants, the state of North Carolina does require a state-recognized officiant to make things legal.
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If you’re planning to be legally married in North Carolina on your elopement day, you will have to tackle the paperwork. If you’d rather not bother with paperwork while you’re here and plan to tackle the legal side of stuff before or after the day you say I do, don’t worry about it. You can always take care of the paperwork before or after your wedding day in your home state, county, or town.
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North Carolina requires two witnesses to sign your marriage license. That doesn’t always mean you have to bring witnesses with you. If having your marriage license signed by people who love and support you is important to you, bringing two witnesses along is a beautiful way to celebrate your marriage. If you’d rather have a just-us day, there are always ways to find witnesses on your day to sign your marriage license (and I can help with that!).
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You sure don’t! I’m a big fan of love without the labels–my partner and I have been in a loving, committed relationship for over a decade and I believe that– just as much as a wedding– deserves the same celebration. I wholeheartedly believe that no matter what your love looks like, you should have your story documented–in videos and in photos.
When you book a North Carolina elopement package with me, you can choose a love-without-the-labels package. That means we can plan your day your way without the paperwork and legal stuff (if that’s what you’re after). Plus, if you eventually do want to legally get married, you can always tackle the paperwork in your home state or county at a later date. This is a great way to include family members during one ceremony and then saving your elopement day just for the two of you!
My Favorite Wedding Officiants in Western NC
One of the most beautiful parts of eloping is how you get to make your ceremony completely your own. Whether that means a short and sweet exchange of vows, something spiritual, or a celebration filled with laughter, having the right officiant can make all the difference. Over the years I’ve had the joy of working with some incredible people who bring heart, presence, and personality to every ceremony. Here are three of my favorites:
Gina || All The Things Ceremonies
If you’re looking for someone who can blend meaning with a touch of fun, Gina is such a great fit. She strikes the perfect balance between heartfelt and lighthearted, making your ceremony both memorable and true to you.
Julia || Heartfelt Elopements
Warm, compassionate, and endlessly kind, Julia has a way of making couples feel instantly comfortable. She’s especially wonderful if you want a ceremony that feels deeply personal and grounded.
Vanessa || Adventure Officiant
If you want something fun and adventurous, Vanessa is amazing. She’s down-to-earth, extremely flexible, and really focused on honoring your unique story without all the excess fluff.
Final Encouragements
Capturing your real moments every step of the way
No matter how you choose to elope–tackling the legal stuff on your wedding day or celebrating without crossing the Ts–it’s my greatest hope you plan and experience a day that makes you feel alive, aligned, and in love.
If you’re ready to talk about your North Carolina elopement and work with an Asheville elopement photographer who loves the land (and your love story), I’m here to help. Let’s chat about what your day can look and feel like and how I can help you capture those moments and feelings forever.
