Prices and budget
A 4-hour photographer or videographer is usually enough for a civil ceremony in Arizona
How much a courthouse wedding photographer costs in Arizona
With IAZ Photo Studio, a courthouse wedding photographer in Arizona starts at $1,250 for 4 continuous hours of photo-only coverage, and video-only coverage costs the same. If you want both, the Essential Package gives you a photographer and a videographer for $2,150, with 8 hours and a Pre-Event Photo Session.
The ceremony itself may last ten minutes, but the day also has getting ready, signatures, hugs with family and usually a dinner afterward. This guide covers what fits in 4 hours, what the Maricopa County courts allow for photos and video, and how to plan the afternoon around the light.
IAZ Photo Studio has photographed and filmed Arizona weddings since 2004. We started as Mi Foto Evento and have covered more than 500 events.
Three ways to cover a courthouse or small wedding
The photo and video package comes first; the two 4-hour single-service options follow.
| Essential Package (photo and video) | Photo only | Video only | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $2,150 | $1,250 | $1,250 |
| Continuous hours | 8 | 4 | 4 |
| Locations | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Team | Photographer and videographer | Photographer | Videographer |
| Pre-Event Photo Session | Yes, 1 hour | No | No |
| What you get | 75 digital photos, a framed 20×30 print, an online gallery and the edited video on USB | 50 edited photos, USB and online gallery | Full edited video, gallery and USB |
If 4 hours isn't enough, each extra hour is $150, and single-service coverage also comes in 6 hours ($1,550) and 8 hours ($1,895). Torn between photos and video? Our guide to photo, video or both helps: photos get framed and shared; video gives you back the vows and the voices.
What fits in 4 hours of courthouse wedding coverage
Four hours covers most courthouse weddings, because the ceremony is short and everything happens in one or two places. The hours are continuous: the drive to the courthouse, the security line and the wait for the judge all count.
A sample afternoon with a ceremony at a Phoenix-area courthouse:
| Time | Moment | What we photograph or film |
|---|---|---|
| 3:15 pm | Couple portraits | Relaxed photos near the courthouse |
| 4:15 pm | Arrival at the courthouse | You and your witnesses before security screening |
| 5:00 pm | Ceremony | Vows, rings and signing, if the judge allows it |
| 5:30 pm | Family photos | Group shots outside the building |
| 6:00 pm | Dinner or toast | The toast and the first hugs |
If you also want getting ready at home or the hotel, that's a third place: with photo only or video only, it calls for the Classic (3 locations).
If your small wedding is at home, in a garden or at a restaurant, the day looks similar. Arizona law lets licensed or ordained clergy, judges and justices of the peace, among others, perform marriages (A.R.S. § 25-124 (opens in a new tab), checked November 7, 2026). To count your hours, read how many hours of wedding photography and video you need.
Maricopa County courthouse rules for photos and video
The Maricopa County Justice Courts perform civil weddings, and their rules change how you plan coverage. Here is what their wedding page (opens in a new tab) says, checked November 7, 2026:
- Photos and video: signs ban them anywhere in the building. The judge will usually make an exception in the courtroom, but you have to ask first.
- Timing: nearly all weddings take place after 5 pm, once the court day ends. The doors lock at exactly 5, so arrive well before 4:30 pm to get through security.
- Guests: bring as many as you like, but courtrooms aren't reception halls, and more than 10 people can feel tight.
- What to bring: your marriage license and two witnesses age 18 or older. Each judge sets the ceremony fee, usually $100 to $120, paid in cash.
- Language: some judges perform ceremonies in Spanish; the page lists them.
The license costs $98 anywhere in Arizona. It comes from the Clerk of the Superior Court, or from the justice courts in Gila Bend, Avondale and Chandler, which take money orders only, and it expires one year after it's issued, according to the clerk's online marriage license page (opens in a new tab), checked November 7, 2026.
For your coverage, ask the judge for permission to photograph and film in the courtroom, and plan portraits and group photos outside. If the judge says no, the portraits you already have save the day. Rules differ in other counties, so ask your court.
How to use the afternoon light at a courthouse wedding
For a wedding after 5 pm, the month decides whether portraits come before or after the ceremony. Arizona doesn't observe daylight saving time, and in Phoenix the earliest sunset is December 4 at 5:21 pm, while the latest is June 29 at 7:43 pm (sunrise-sunset.org (opens in a new tab), checked November 6, 2026).
- November through February: do portraits before the ceremony, because there's little sun left when you walk out.
- May through September: you'll have light afterward, and heat too; look for shade and keep photos short. Our Arizona heat and monsoon guide explains how we work with heat and monsoon storms.
If you already married at the courthouse without a photographer
If you've already signed and there were no photos, an after-the-wedding session starts at $350 for 1 hour and 10 edited photos; if the spot is far away, we tell you any travel charge in writing before you book. If you plan a church wedding and reception later, see what wedding photography and video cost.
How to book your courthouse wedding with IAZ
A $500 deposit holds your date and goes toward your total; you pay the rest in installments, in full one month before the wedding. You review and sign the contract on your phone, and signing and paying the deposit are separate steps. There's no travel fee within 50 driving miles of Tempe, Arizona (I-10 and US-60), which includes the courthouses in Phoenix, Mesa and Chandler.
Courthouse wedding photography questions
How much does a courthouse wedding photographer cost in Arizona?
With IAZ Photo Studio, photo-only coverage starts at $1,250 for 4 hours and 2 locations, with 50 edited photos. Video-only costs the same, and photo and video together start at $2,150.
Can you take photos inside the courthouse?
At the Maricopa County Justice Courts, photos and video are banned in the building, but the judge will usually allow them in the courtroom if you ask first. That's why we plan portraits outside.
How many hours do I need for a courthouse wedding?
Usually 4 hours covers portraits, the ceremony, family photos and the toast. Each extra hour is $150.
Do you charge travel outside Phoenix?
Not within 50 driving miles of Tempe. Farther out, we quote the full driving distance and agree on it in writing before the date.
More wedding cost guides
- Quinceañera photo and video costOur main pricing guide, with the same packages.
- Wedding photography and video costThe full packages for a wedding with a reception.
- How many hours of wedding photo and video you needHow to count hours from your timeline.
- Photo, video or bothWhat you gain and what you give up with one service.
- What a wedding photo and video package includesEvery item, explained.
- When to book a wedding photographerHow far ahead to hold your date.
Where is your courthouse wedding?
Pick the city of your courthouse or venue and check your date with the team that works there. We reply within 24 to 48 hours with availability and the coverage that fits your day.
Check whether your courthouse wedding date is open
Tell us the courthouse or venue, the date and the time, and we'll tell you if 4 hours is enough. If you'd rather ask a quick question first, text (602) 753-7969.