A Cambridge City Hall wedding costs $50 for the marriage license. It happens by appointment at 795 Massachusetts Avenue, usually in the historic Sullivan Chamber — though the city is clear that no room is guaranteed, because City Hall rooms are reserved for city business first.
The rule that shapes the whole day is the photography rule, and Cambridge writes it in capitals on its own site: you can take photos in the room where you are married, during and after the ceremony — and you cannot take photos in the hallway or on the stairs. That single line is why Cambridge weddings are planned as a short ceremony indoors and portraits outdoors, and why a gallery full of staircase pictures is a gallery from before the rule.
I photographed Luis and Taylor's Cambridge City Hall wedding, so the photographs on this page are from this building. City Hall Ceremony + Portraits is $849 for 60 minutes. People also search for this as a Cambridge courthouse wedding or a civil ceremony — same day, different word.
Start with the official Cambridge appointment
Cambridge runs this in a strict order, and couples who book out of order lose time. The City of Cambridge's ceremony page states that a marriage intention must be completed before scheduling the marriage ceremony — you need the intention number in hand before the booking system will give you a ceremony slot.
- Apply together, in person. Both of you go to the City Clerk's Office with valid photo ID. Cambridge does not accept applications by mail.
- Wait three days. The license is issued three days after the in-person application, and either one of you can collect it.
- Then book the ceremony, using the intention number, through the city's online scheduling system. Ceremonies are by appointment only.
- License fee: $50.
The Clerk's Office hours of service are Monday 8:30 AM–8 PM, Tuesday to Thursday 8:30 AM–5 PM, and Friday 8:30 AM–12 PM Cambridge does not publish a guest limit the way Boston does, so confirm your number with the Clerk's Office when you book rather than trusting a figure from a photographer's blog — including this one.
Booking photography does not reserve the city's ceremony time, and no photographer can hold a slot for you.
I can help plan the photo timing and the portrait route around your confirmed appointment.
Who can get married at Cambridge City Hall
There is no residency test. Massachusetts states that you do not have to be a state resident to get married here, and that you can apply for a license from any city or town in the state — it does not have to be where you live or where the ceremony happens. So a couple from New York, or from Somerville, or from the other side of the world can get married at Cambridge City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139.
- Both of you must be 18 or older, and both of you must appear in person to file the intention.
- Bring valid photo ID. Cambridge does not accept applications by mail.
- The license is $50 and, once issued, is valid anywhere in Massachusetts for 60 days — so a Cambridge license also covers a ceremony in Boston, Salem or a back garden in Medford.
- The City Clerk's Office is the office you want, not a court. People search for a Cambridge courthouse wedding or a Cambridge town hall wedding and mean this: a civil ceremony performed by the City Clerk at City Hall. Their number is 617-349-4260.
What couples getting married here tend to like is how little standing between them and being married: no venue to be approved by, no minimum guest count, no residency to prove. Two people, a form, a three-day wait, and a building that has been marrying people in Cambridge since 1889.
What the current photo rules mean for your plan
"YOU CAN TAKE PHOTOS IN THE ROOM WHERE YOU ARE MARRIED DURING AND AFTER THE CEREMONY."
"YOU CAN NOT TAKE PHOTOS IN THE HALLWAY OR ON THE STAIRS."
Read practically, that means everything indoors happens in one room. There is no walking-through-the-building portion of the day and no staircase portrait, however many of them you have seen in older galleries. Anyone still showing you Cambridge staircase photographs is showing you work from before the rule, or work that ignored it.
So the day has two halves: the room, then outside. Couples generally walk to Central Square or on toward Harvard Square for portraits afterward, which is a short walk and gives you brick, trees and street rather than a municipal corridor. The city can also need its rooms for other business, so a flexible plan beats a promise about a particular interior.
Share accessibility needs and how much walking you want to do. We can keep the portrait route short rather than making a trip to the river or another neighborhood essential. Any private or indoor backup needs permission from that location.
A practical plan for the hour
- Before the ceremony: meet at the agreed place, confirm the short photo list and leave room for check-in.
- During the ceremony: photographs in the room as permitted, with the focus on the two of you and your guests.
- After the ceremony: a few planned family groups, then couple portraits using a suitable route.
- At the finish: allow time to reach your meal or celebration without rushing the final photographs.
This is an outline, not the city's schedule. We set the actual coverage start and finish together. If getting ready, a longer reception or more locations matter to you, tell me and I'll put the right coverage together.
Photography prices and your other costs
City Hall Ceremony + Portraits — $849. This is the one built for a day like this.
60 minutes · Cambridge or Boston City Hall · up to 50 edited images · sneak peek within 48 hours · full gallery within 30 days · full printing rights.
An hour fits the shape of the day: arrival, the room, the ceremony, then the walk out for portraits. City Hall only marries people on weekdays, so the weekday timing is simply when Cambridge performs ceremonies.
Planning more than the ceremony — getting ready, a lunch afterward, more than one location? Tell me what the day looks like and I'll put the right coverage together. The fuller options are on the packages page.
Confirm Cambridge's current fees directly — the license rose to $50 on April 1, 2025. The free photography budget worksheet helps compare what is included without relying on a generic Boston market average.
See a complete Cambridge wedding gallery
Luis and Taylor's gallery shows how I photograph a small wedding. Tell me which moments matter to you: arriving together, your ceremony, family photographs, portraits or the start of the celebration. I will help make a plan around those priorities and current access.
Check your Cambridge date
Send your date or shortlist, appointment time if booked, guest count and any plans afterward. Ask about Cambridge City Hall photography or see all packages. If you are still choosing a city, the Boston City Hall guide explains that separate booking process. Cambridge's published ceremony and photography rules were checked against the city's own pages on September 20, 2026. Confirm them when you book.
