Getting Married at 62-B District Court 
Congratulations! We are honored to be a part the joining of your lives together. This page is dedicated to what you need to know before getting married at the 62-B District Court. 

Before getting married, there are a few things you need to know. In order to be married at the 62-B District Court, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Marriage Counseling. You must complete a marriage counseling class. See more here
  • Photo Identification. Bride, Groom and Witnesses must provide a valid photo ID at the time of the ceremony.
  • Marriage License. You must obtain a marriage license from the county clerk and bring it with you at the time of the ceremony. You should apply for the marriage license 3 to 33 days before your wedding.  Learn more here.
  • Witnesses. You must have two witnesses for your ceremony. Witnesses must be 18 years or older  on the day of your ceremony with valid photo ID.
  • Arrival Time. Please plan on arriving at the courthouse 15 minutes before your scheduled time.
  • Fees. You must provide $10 the day of the scheduled wedding.
If you are ready to schedule your wedding ceremony, please ensure you have completed the above. You can schedule your ceremony by calling 616.554.0714

Marriage Counseling

In order to ensure couples get pre-marital guidance, we require all couples complete some marriage counseling.  For your convenience, we have approved the Keys for Couples course provided by Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services and Thriveworks provided by Grand Rapids Counseling.  However, you may complete a marriage course of your choice provided that it is substantially similar in terms of topics covered in the Keys for Couples course.

If you choose to use Keys for Couples, you must contact them directly.  Keys for Couples will send the court the appropriate documents.  

Keys for Couples
Postma Center
Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services
300 68th Street SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49548
616.222.4530 

If you choose your own marriage counseling class, then you must submit to the court a letter from the organization.  The letter must be on letterhead from the organization and state that you have completed the course, a brief description of the course, and it must be signed by an official of the organization.

Scheduling Your Marriage Ceremony 
Judge Sterkenburg performs marriages on Fridays after 4 p.m. Magistrate White performs marriages on Wednesdays. Once you have completed the necessary marriage counseling, you can contact us to schedule your ceremony:

Obtaining a Marriage License?
The Kent County Clerk’s Office issues marriage licenses.  You must have a wedding scheduled in order to apply for a license.  You can may apply online for a marriage license at the Kent County Clerk's Office or you contact the Kent County Clerk’s Office by phone at 616.632.7640. There is a three day waiting period to obtaining a license after submitting an application. The fee is $20 for Michigan residents and $30 for non-residents.

Special Wedding Amenities
For all our weddings, we place the couples name on our announcement monitor at the Court House, which is a great opportunity for photos!  In addition, weather permitting, you may have your wedding ceremony in our private outdoor courtyard.