What is the cheapest of the ceremony-only elopement sites in Washington, DC?

Montgomery County Circuit Court Civil Marriage Ceremony in Rockville, at $25. Rental fees do not include the marriage license, an officiant, or anything you bring in.

Which parts of Washington, DC have ceremony-only elopement sites?

The 11 listings here sit across 7 cities in the Washington, DC area, including Washington, Alexandria, Rockville, Arlington, Great Falls, and Vienna. Some rates are lower for residents of the city or county that owns the site, so check whether a resident rate applies to you.

Can any of these Washington, DC venues hold 50 or more guests?

Yes. 5 of the 11 listings on this page publish a capacity of 50 or more. The rest are sized for smaller ceremonies, and a few courthouse and garden sites cap guests in the low single digits.

Are these Washington, DC venues indoor or outdoor?

Both. 8 of the 11 have an outdoor ceremony or reception area and 3 have indoor space. Outdoor sites almost never include a rain backup, so ask what happens to your fee if the weather turns.

Are these prices current?

Each listing shows the date its price was checked against the source, most recently August 2026, and links straight to that source so you can confirm it yourself. Fee schedules change, peak-season and weekend surcharges are common, and nothing here is a quote. Confirm with the venue before you book.

11 ceremony-only elopement venues in Washington, DC

Illustration of ceremony-only elopement sites in the Washington, DC area — Illustration. Not a photograph of any venue listed on this page.

Ceremony-only sites are priced for the vows and nothing else, which is the entire point of an elopement and the reason the number is so small. Every listing below is a real Washington, DC area site with a price published by the venue itself or in a public fee schedule, checked in August 2026. We do not publish estimates, and we do not take a cut of what you book.

Listings: 11
Cheapest: $25
Median start: $250
Highest start: $950

Cheapest is Montgomery County Circuit Court Civil Marriage Ceremony at $25. Prices last verified against their sources in August 2026.

The mix here is 5 garden & conservatory, 2 courthouse & city hall, 2 park & pavilion, 1 chapel, plus a few others, spread across 7 cities in the metro. Filter by price tier, guest count, indoor or outdoor, and ceremony versus reception below, then open any listing to see its source link.

11 of 11 venues

Montgomery County Circuit Court Civil Marriage Ceremony

$25

Rockville, MDUp to 10

Courthouse & City HallIndoorCeremony only

Montgomery County Circuit Court, How Do I Get a Marriage License: "The fee for the ceremony is $25 and can be paid by cash, debit card, credit card, Apple Pay, Venmo, and Google Pay."

DC Superior Court Marriage Bureau Civil Wedding Ceremony

$45

Washington, DC

Courthouse & City HallIndoorCeremony only

"The marriage license application fee is $45.00 ($35 of this fee will be waived if the applicant's original DC Domestic Partnership Certificate and is presented at the time of application)." The Marriage Bureau publishes no separate charge for the civil ceremony itself.

Bon Air Park Rose Garden Wedding Reservation

$63 to $126

Arlington, VA

Garden & ConservatoryOutdoorCeremony only

The county's FY2027 (July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027) Department of Parks and Recreation fee schedule publishes a "Wedding Reservation Fee" for the Bon Air Rose Garden of "$63 Residents / $126 Non-residents". Low end is the Arlington resident rate.

George Mason Memorial (NPS Wedding Permit)

$90

Washington, DCUp to 100

Park & PavilionOutdoorCeremony only

"A non-refundable application processing cost of $90 is required with the submission of a Special Use Wedding Permit." (National Mall and Memorial Parks, How to Apply for a Permit)

DC War Memorial (NPS Wedding Permit)

$90

Washington, DCUp to 200

Park & PavilionOutdoorCeremony only

"A non-refundable application processing cost of $90 is required with the submission of a Special Use Wedding Permit." (National Mall and Memorial Parks, How to Apply for a Permit)

Green Spring Gardens - White Gazebo

$250 to $300

Alexandria, VAUp to 40

Garden & ConservatoryOutdoorCeremony only

Green Spring Gardens Rental Facilities: "White Gazebo Daytime, all days, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., $250 for first two hours / $300 for first two hours, $150 for each additional hour. Accommodates up to 40 people."

Colvin Run Mill Formal Garden

$250

Great Falls, VA

Garden & ConservatoryOutdoorCeremony only

Fairfax County Park Authority Schedule of Rates, Fees & Other Charges effective January 1, 2026, "Wedding Rental Fees / Colvin Run Mill, Formal Garden: 2-Hour Rental Fee $250 / Additional Hour $125."

Green Spring Gardens - Pond Gazebo

$275

Alexandria, VAUp to 25

Garden & ConservatoryOutdoorCeremony only

Green Spring Gardens Rental Facilities: "Pond Gazebo $275 for first two hours, $138 for each additional hour. Accommodates up to 25 people."

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens Wedding Gazebos

$425 to $450

Vienna, VAUp to 120

Garden & ConservatoryOutdoorCeremony only

NOVA Parks Gazebo Rentals fee table: "2 Hour Rental | $425.00 [Jurisdiction] | $450.00 [Non-Jurisdiction]" (4 Hour Rental $545.00 / $600.00; Security Deposit refundable $550.00 / $610.00).

Mt. Zion Historic Park - Ceremony Only (3 hours, interior)

$700 to $800

Aldie, VAUp to 85

ChapelIndoorCeremony only

NOVA Parks Mt. Zion fee table, "Rental fees / Ceremony only / 3 hours interior only": Jurisdiction $700.00, Non-Jurisdiction $800.00.

Carlyle House Historic Park - Ceremony-Only Rental

$950 to $1,065

Alexandria, VAUp to 100

Estate & Historic HomeOutdoorCeremony only

Carlyle House Rentals rate sheet: "Ceremony-Only Prices (2 hour rental), in jurisdiction $950 + Tax ($57) = $1007 + $500 Sec. Deposit (Refundable)"; "Ceremony-Only Prices (2 hour rental), outside jurisdiction $1065 + Tax ($63.90) = $1128.90".

Not finding the right fit in Washington, DC?

Tell us your date, guest count, and budget. We'll email you the Washington, DC venues under $5,000 that fit, each with its published price and source. We don't book or hold anything, you contact the venue yourself.

Common questions

How much do ceremony-only elopement sites cost in Washington, DC?: Across the 11 Washington, DC listings on this page, published starting prices run from $25 to $950, with a median starting price of $250. The cheapest is Montgomery County Circuit Court Civil Marriage Ceremony in Rockville at $25. Every figure comes from the venue's own pricing page or a public fee schedule, checked in August 2026.
What is the cheapest of the ceremony-only elopement sites in Washington, DC?: Montgomery County Circuit Court Civil Marriage Ceremony in Rockville, at $25. Rental fees do not include the marriage license, an officiant, or anything you bring in.
Which parts of Washington, DC have ceremony-only elopement sites?: The 11 listings here sit across 7 cities in the Washington, DC area, including Washington, Alexandria, Rockville, Arlington, Great Falls, and Vienna. Some rates are lower for residents of the city or county that owns the site, so check whether a resident rate applies to you.
Can any of these Washington, DC venues hold 50 or more guests?: Yes. 5 of the 11 listings on this page publish a capacity of 50 or more. The rest are sized for smaller ceremonies, and a few courthouse and garden sites cap guests in the low single digits.
Are these Washington, DC venues indoor or outdoor?: Both. 8 of the 11 have an outdoor ceremony or reception area and 3 have indoor space. Outdoor sites almost never include a rain backup, so ask what happens to your fee if the weather turns.
Are these prices current?: Each listing shows the date its price was checked against the source, most recently August 2026, and links straight to that source so you can confirm it yourself. Fee schedules change, peak-season and weekend surcharges are common, and nothing here is a quote. Confirm with the venue before you book.

Places in Washington, DC that rent several spaces

These venues price each space separately, so what you pay depends on which one you book. Each page compares all of them side by side.

Carlyle House Historic Park4 spaces, $950 to $2,800 Green Spring Gardens3 spaces, $250 to $500

Guides that go with this list

What Happens at a Courthouse Wedding: Step by Step, What to Bring, How Long It TakesA courthouse wedding is two errands: get the license, then have a judge or clerk perform a short civil ceremony. Here is exactly what happens at each step, what you need to bring, who has to be there, and how long the whole thing takes.How Much Does a Small Wedding Cost? Real Numbers for 20, 30, and 50 GuestsThe average cost of a small wedding depends almost entirely on the guest count and the venue. Here are worked totals for 20, 30, and 50 guests built on published venue prices from 1,000+ real listings, plus the line items that actually move the number.What a Civil Ceremony Is, Who Can Perform One, and What It CostsA civil ceremony is a legal, non-religious wedding performed by a judge, clerk, or other authorized officiant. It can happen at a courthouse, a park, or your living room. Here is who can perform one in the states we cover, what it costs, and how it differs from a religious ceremony.21 Questions to Ask a Cheap Wedding Venue Before You BookThe questions that decide whether a low published price is actually low: minimums, deposits, surcharges, what is included, alcohol rules, rain policy, and vendor restrictions.

Narrow it down in Washington, DC

Under $1,00030 venues in Washington, DC Parks and pavilions11 venues in Washington, DC Gardens7 venues in Washington, DC Historic estates9 venues in Washington, DC Outdoor29 venues in Washington, DC Indoor12 venues in Washington, DC Small and micro5 venues in Washington, DC Chapels3 venues in Washington, DC 50+ guests19 venues in Washington, DC

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