NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n A number of West Coast couples are reportedly foregoing costly, extravagant weddings these days. Instead, they’re favoring simple courthouse ceremonies.<\/p>\n The demand for straightforward civil ceremonies is causing a rush for marriage appointments at municipal buildings in California, the Los Angeles Times recently reported.<\/p>\n “They pretty much get picked up as soon as we release them,” Santa Barbara County Clerk Melinda Greene told the publication. “We have people from all over the world.”<\/p>\n TAYLOR SWIFT’S WEDDING SPARKS HOLIDAY WEEKEND ETIQUETTE DEBATE FOR GUESTS<\/strong><\/p>\n Slots to get married at California courthouses have been filling up months in advance, while some couples snap up last-minute bookings.<\/p>\n Elopement has turned from “a breezy wedding alternative into a formal contact sport,” the same publication reported.<\/p>\n There’s been a surge in California courthouse weddings, according to a recent report \u2014 instead of pricey weddings at formal event venues.<\/span> (iStock)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n “It books up so fast, you have to be online at the exact time [of day] you plan on having your appointment,” Asha Marshall of So Fetch Photography told the Times. “A lot of my brides get stressed out.”<\/p>\n Micro-weddings are reportedly on the rise due in part to social media posts inspiring couples to get married at the same venues where celebrities have tied the knot.<\/p>\n Santa Barbara\u2019s Spanish Moorish revival courthouse, for instance, is a sought-after spot where Kamala Harris married Doug Emhoff and where Kourtney Kardashian got hitched to Travis Barker.<\/p>\n TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ<\/strong><\/p>\n “We see dozens a day, starting at 8 o\u2019clock in the morning,” Roy Lee, Santa Barbara County supervisor, told the Times.<\/p>\n San Francisco City Hall, where Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio were married with great fanfare in 1954, is a top spot for a courthouse wedding, according to the Times. The venue hosts some 7,000 weddings a year.<\/p>\n Despite the uptick in California courthouse weddings, couples are still spending major bucks on their big day, data shows.<\/span> (iStock)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The trend also coincides with Gen Z \u2014 those commonly cited as having been born between 1997 and 2012 \u2014 now entering its peak marrying years.<\/p>\n The oldest members of Gen Z are hitting the average marrying age of 28, online wedding-planning and registry company Zola reported, and this generation has become a primary driver of the wedding industry.<\/p>\n Micro-weddings are reportedly on the rise, due in part to social media.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n “The 2026 wedding season reflects the broader cultural shifts of this generation,” Zola reported in its “2026 Wedding Trends: First Look” report, a survey of more than 11,500 couples getting married in 2026.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE NEWS<\/strong><\/p>\n “Our couples are using TikTok and AI in their everyday lives, embracing both cocktails and mocktails and prioritizing their mental wellness,” the report said.<\/p>\n Though cost-friendly and streamlined civil marriage ceremonies are popular in some places, the average cost of a wedding is $36,000, according to Zola \u2014 while the average guest count has remained steady at around 145 people, similar to last year.<\/p>\n The average wedding costs $36,000 and includes 145 guests, recent data shows.<\/span> (iStock)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n “Even with economic jitters, we\u2019re seeing couples prioritize the celebration they want over other financial goals,” the company reported. “The sentiment is clear: 85% of couples say their wedding will be worth every penny.”<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/p>\n Bank of America said in June 2026 that “wedding-related spending grew 8.5% year-over-year so far in 2026\u2026 suggesting that higher prices haven\u2019t completely curbed spending on that special day.”<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER<\/strong><\/p>\n The report also found consumers are spending less on one-time formal wear purchases, while more economical, lab-grown diamonds continue to gain traction.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1200\/675\/courhouse_wedding.jpg?ve=1&tl=1\")
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