Some Minnesota Courts Offering Free Valentine’s Day Weddings

Goin' to the chapel and we're gonna get married. Let's try again. Goin' to the courthouse and we're gonna get married. OK, that's better.

With Valentine's Day exactly two weeks from today, it's time to start making plans for the big celebration. A card? Candy? Flowers? Dinner? Marriage?

The number of county of courthouses in Minnesota offering free weddings on Valentine’s Day has been growing every year, and that trend continues in 2025 as it rises to ten.

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The freebie wedding program began more than a decade ago in Hennepin County (Minneapolis) and last year added Ramsey County (Saint Paul) and two courthouses in St. Louis County (Duluth & Virginia).

Kim Pleticha with the Minnesota Judicial Branch says,

This year 11 courthouses are doing it. You need to make an appointment and get your marriage license before the ceremony.

Ramsey County (Saint Paul) is already full for Valentine's Day weddings this year. Other Minnesota county courthouses offering free weddings for 2025 are in Beltrami (Bemidji), Carlton (Carlton), Chisago (Center City), Cook (Grand Marais), Hennepin (Minneapolis), Lake (Two Harbors), Pine (Pine City), St. Louis (Duluth), and Washington (Stillwater) Counties.

Judge Bridgid Dowdal of Chisago County District Court adds,

We’re really looking forward to marrying couples this Valentine’s Day. Marrying people is one of the highlights of our job.

If you'd like to be married by a Minnesota judge on Valentine’s Day this year, you should click here and follow the directions for registering for a free wedding.

Each courthouse has a limited number of wedding ceremony times, so appointments are required—no walk-ins. You do not need to reside in the county in which get married in, but you must have a valid marriage license before a wedding can be performed.