City Hall Weddings in Greater Boston
Six halls, what each one actually costs, and who marries you at each.
A city hall wedding is the whole thing inside an hour: the two of you, a few people who matter, and a room with a clerk in it. Then you walk outside and take pictures while it is still sinking in.
Six city and town halls around Boston are worth knowing about, and they are not interchangeable. Three of them perform the ceremony themselves, on weekdays. The other three do not — which sounds like a drawback and is closer to freedom: you bring your own officiant, so the date is yours, weekends included.
What each hall costs, and who marries you
| Hall | The city's own cost | Who performs the ceremony | Which days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston City Hall | $125 — a $50 license plus a $75 ceremony, cash only | The city | Weekdays |
| Cambridge City Hall | $50 license | The city | Weekdays |
| Quincy City Hall | About $115 — a $45 license plus a $70 ceremony | The city | Weekdays |
| Somerville City Hall | $50 license | You bring an officiant | Any day |
| Brookline Town Hall | $50 to file the intention | You bring an officiant | Any day |
| Salem City Hall | $40 application fee | You bring an officiant | Any day |
What I charge
City Hall Ceremony + Portraits — $849. Sixty minutes at any of the six: the ceremony, then portraits outside. Up to 50 edited images, sneak peek within 48 hours, full gallery within 30 days, full printing rights, and travel anywhere in Massachusetts included.
Planning more than the ceremony — getting ready, a meal afterward, a longer day? Tell me what you have in mind and I'll put the right coverage together, or see the packages page.
The six halls
Boston City Hall. The city marries couples on weekdays, and Quincy Market is two minutes across the plaza with the North End and the waterfront a short walk further. $125 to the city. See the Boston City Hall photographer page. The full Boston City Hall guide covers the license, the rooms and the photography rules.
Cambridge City Hall. The best-looking building of the six, and the city performs the ceremony itself. Harvard Square and the Charles are both close. $50 license to the city. See the Cambridge City Hall photographer page. The full Cambridge City Hall guide covers the license, the rooms and the photography rules.
Quincy City Hall. 1844 Quincy granite, and one of the few places around Boston where the city marries you at city hall. Hancock-Adams Common is right outside the door. About $115 to the city. See the Quincy City Hall photographer page.
Somerville City Hall. An 1852 hall on Central Hill with Prospect Hill Tower up the road and Union Square at the bottom of it. $50 license to the city. See the Somerville City Hall photographer page.
Brookline Town Hall. Not a city — Brookline is one of the largest towns in Massachusetts. Larz Anderson Park and Coolidge Corner are both minutes away. $50 to file the intention to the city. See the Brookline Town Hall photographer page.
Salem City Hall. The oldest working city hall in Massachusetts, with Salem Common and Derby Wharf around it. $40 application fee to the city. See the Salem City Hall photographer page.
The paperwork, hall by hall
Two of the six have a full guide — the license steps, the rooms, the photography rules and what the day actually looks like: the Boston City Hall wedding guide and the Cambridge City Hall wedding guide. For the other four, the photographer page for each hall covers the fees and the clerk's office.
Common questions
Which Greater Boston city hall is easiest to get married at?
Quincy, if you want it in one stop: the city performs the ceremony and you book it while you apply for the license. Boston and Cambridge also marry couples themselves. Somerville, Brookline and Salem do not, so you bring your own officiant — one more thing to sort out, but the day becomes yours to pick.
Can we have a city hall wedding on a Saturday?
At Somerville, Brookline and Salem, yes. Those halls do not perform the ceremony, so your own officiant sets the time. Boston, Cambridge and Quincy marry couples on weekdays, so those are weekday weddings.
Do we need witnesses?
Not in Massachusetts. You can be married with nobody present but the two of you and whoever performs the ceremony.
Can I bring a photographer into city hall?
Boston says yes in writing. Cambridge allows photographs in the room where you are married, but not in the hallway or on the stairs. The rules differ building by building, and the two guides below spell out the ones I have confirmed.
How long does the whole thing take?
The ceremony itself is short. What fills the time is the paperwork beforehand and the portraits afterward, which is what the sixty minutes of coverage is built around: the ceremony, then portraits outside.
How far ahead do we need to plan?
Massachusetts makes you file your intentions in person, wait three days, then collect the license — which is then good for 60 days and valid anywhere in the state. Three days is the legal minimum. A few weeks is the comfortable one.
Getting married at city hall?
Sixty minutes, up to 50 photos, zero stiffness. City Hall Ceremony + Portraits, $849.
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