Hi friends, congrats on getting married!

As a longtime wedding vendor, I’ve had my share of over 600 weddings in my career and there was typically one thing in common that most couples had, little to no knowledge of what it takes to get married in Virginia.

So today, I wanted to share some great information with you regarding what you need to know about getting married in Southwestern Virginia.

Marriage License

So, the first thing you are going to need is a marriage license and in the Commonwealth of Virginia, you will obtain that license within the city or county where the wedding will take place.

For example, if you live in Charlottesville and plan to get married here at Silver Hearth Lodge, you will get the marriage license in Roanoke County, not Charlottesville.

You will also need to obtain the license less than 60 days before your wedding day, otherwise, it is not valid.

Both you and your spouse will need to visit the City or County Clerk’s office and there is a fee of $30 that you will need to pay.

For couples getting married at Silver Hearth Lodge, you will need to visit the Roanoke County Clerk’s Office which is located at 305 E. Main Street Salem, VA 24153-1126.

Roanoke County Clerks Office

Officiant or Pastor

Once you have a marriage license lined up, you need to find someone to perform the ceremony.

In Virginia, several individuals are legally authorized to officiate weddings. These include:

Ministers, priests, and rabbis of any religious denomination
Judges and retired judges
Court clerks and deputy clerks
Authorized persons of any religious denomination who are given the authority to solemnize marriages

Typically most are done by either a pastor or officiant and they typically cost about $200-$300 (plus a tip). You can also have friends or family perform your ceremony, however there is a workaround.

Virginia has some strict requirements about who can marry you and according to the Virginia Supreme Court ruling in Cramer v. Commonwealth and in an Attorney General's written opinion, online ordinations do not fulfill the statutory requirements to qualify as a local minister to officiate the rights of matrimony under the VA Code.

In simple terms, Virginia will not accept online ordination certificates, so if you want “Uncle Bobby” to perform your ceremony, you need to get married first (usually at the Clerk’s office or an Officiant) then have your wedding day and “Uncle Bobby” can ‘marry’ you in front of guests.

No Blood Tests

Unlike some states, you do not need to take a blood test in Virginia to get married.

Do You Need Witnesses?

Also, you don’t need witnesses like you see in the movies, Virginia is a state where is it not necessary to have witnesses in order to have a ceremony.

Wedding Venue

While you don’t need a wedding venue, in this day and age, it’s become standard to have a venue of some sort, especially if you plan on having guests, friends, and family with some sort of reception.

Reading this article, Silver Hearth Lodge IS the place to be if you are in Southwest Virginia.

With the stunning views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and every detail you can think of and more, this truly unique venue is something that will keep your guests talking about for years after the wedding day has passed, I recommend that you take a tour of the facility and see what it has to offer when booking your venue.

You will simply not find anything like it in the United States.

Other Things You Need to Know

The minimum age for marriage in the Commonwealth of Virginia is 18 years for both parties unless a minor has been emancipated by court order. Upon application for a marriage license, an emancipated minor shall provide a certified copy of the order of emancipation.

Certified copies of marriage records may be obtained in person or by mail from the Circuit Court Clerk’s office that issued the marriage license for a fee of $2.50 each or from the Virginia Division of Department of Health Vital Records in Richmond at 804-662-6200.

Roanoke Wedding Guide: What You Need to Get Married