How to get married at the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison

Did you know that wedding ceremonies are permitted within the public areas (for free!) and within ornate private rooms (for a small fee) of the Capitol building? Have you considered eloping or having a small and intimate wedding ceremony inside the Capitol?

Are you wondering how to get married or how to plan a small wedding ceremony at the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison? If so, this blog is for you!

couple in wedding attire at the wisconsin state capitol brianna kraft photography

There are two options for getting married at the capitol building in Madison.

Option 1 is to have a small wedding ceremony in the common areas / public spaces of the capitol for free!
Option 2 is to apply to for a permit to host a wedding ceremony in one of the ornate private rooms in the capitol.

I'll go into more detail for each option below!

OPTION 1:

Have a small wedding ceremony in the common areas / public spaces of the capitol for free.

The magnificent indoor space of the capitol is open to the public and offers a variety of quiet corners within the common areas to host your small ceremony (see photo examples below). As Madison's crown jewel, having the capitol as the backdrop for your wedding ceremony is a surprisingly budget friendly option for a ceremony space.

The process of having your small wedding ceremony inside the capitol common areas is relatively simple. You do not need to apply for a permit and do not need to pay a fee if you meet the following criteria:

If you will be getting married within the common areas of the building,
are having 12 guests or fewer, and
will not need chairs

If these apply to you, you and your partner can just show up inside the capitol and get married! That's right, you do not even need to schedule an appointment with the capitol to use the public space for your ceremony.

Note: to be considered a legal wedding ceremony in the State of Wisconsin you and your partner will need to have two witnesses and an officiant present during the ceremony in the capitol.

Important Tips:

Ceremonies can be held during the building opening hours, which are: Monday-Friday: 8:00am-6:00pm & Saturday-Sunday: 8:00am-4:00pm. Private events are not allowed outside these hours.
Fridays or other weekdays make great elopement days!
Ceremonies should last around 1 hour or less.
The public areas of the capitol can accommodate up to 50 people for a ceremony, but if you have more than 12 people or need chairs for your guests to sit, you will need to go with Option 2 and apply for a permit.
Wedding receptions are NOT permitted within the captiol, but there are lots of amazing spaces nearby to host a gathering after your ceremony.

a couple getting married at the wisconsin state capitol brianna kraft photography

OPTION 2:

The second option for getting married at the capitol in Madison is to apply to for a permit to host a wedding ceremony in one of the ornate private rooms in the capitol.

Note: If you want your guests to be able to sit in chairs during the ceremony or if you have between 12-50 guests, you will need to follow the instructions for Option 2.

In addition to wedding ceremonies in the common areas, wedding ceremonies are also permitted in the following private rooms in the capitol: Assembly Chamber, Assembly Parlor, North Hearing Room, Senate Chamber, and the Senate Parlor. (see photos below)

Aren't these rooms so stunning?! One of the main benefits to booking a private room at the capitol for your wedding ceremony is that there won't be other people wandering around during your ceremony. If you plan to have your ceremony in the common spaces, these spaces are open to the public so people could be walking around during your ceremony.

There are also other small meeting rooms available, but the rooms listed above are the most exquisite for a wedding ceremony.

If you would like to book one of the private rooms listed above for your wedding ceremony, OR if you need to rent chairs for your guests OR if you have between 12-50 guests you will need to follow the steps below:

Easy steps to book your ceremony in a private room at the capitol:

Choose a wedding date!

Check this calendar to make sure there aren't any official events happening in the room you are eyeing during your desired timeframe: Capitol Calendar of Events
If there aren't any clickable items on the calendar, then the date does not have any events happening. As a note, this calendar lists all events in all spaces within the capitol.
You can book specific rooms to host your wedding ceremony at the capitol (listed above), but one of the easiest options is to just use the public spaces/common areas. Often, the public spaces such as the rotunda and the corridors will not be booked for an event.
Fridays make great elopement days at the capitol!

2. Reserve your wedding date, time, and room with the capitol

Fill out this application form
Choose what designated time period you prefer: either 9:30 am-12:30 pm or 12:45 pm-3:45 pm
If you want to use the common spaces but need chairs for 12-50 guests, you can note this on your application and do not have to circle a room option.
Write a pre-dated check for $750 for the refundable security deposit. (check should be written out to Assembly Chief Clerk)
Write a second check for $375 for the non-refundable application fee payment for weddings. (check should be written out to Assembly Chief Clerk)
All ceremonies are subject to a $375 non-refundable application fee. This charge is for a designated time period either 9:30 am-12:30 pm or 12:45 pm-3:45 pm. Those conducted within normal business hours (8 am - 5 pm, Monday - Friday) are subject to the $375 charge; those conducted after-hours and on weekends are subject to a $750 charge.
Mail your form to the address at the top of the form

3. After applying and being granted approval for your date, time, and room (optional if you want to use the common areas), you will be put in contact with an event coordinator at the capitol and you can make any requests through them.

The event coordinator can help arrange chair rentals (at an additional cost) and other special requests you may have (within reason).

Once you are all booked at the capitol, see the list of next steps below for planning your intimate ceremony or elopement!

a couple in wedding attire gets married at the wisconsin state capitol

Once you have decided which option works for you to get married at the Wisconsin State Capitol, here are some other wedding or elopement planning tips for your special day.

Other things to plan for your capitol elopement or small wedding:

1. Hire a photographer to capture your event!

If you hire me as your photographer, I can also act as a witness for you.

2. Hire an officiant for your ceremony.

Your officiant can be a friend or family member if they are ordained. (It's easy to get ordained online!)
If you want to hire a civil official or judge, you can find a list of available here: Officiants
There are often people who are ordained that perform wedding ceremonies that are not civil officials. Search on google for wedding officiants to find someone who suits you.
You can work with your officiant to write your wedding ceremony script.
Note: You will need your officiant's information when applying for your marriage license (step 4).

3. Plan other wedding details such as:

your wedding attire (dresses, suits, rings, etc)
florals
guest list (in Wisconsin you need two witnesses present during your ceremony to make it legal)
vows

4. Apply for a marriage license

You can apply for a marriage license in Wisconsin starting 60 days out from your wedding day. Learn more about applying for a marriage license here
Don't forget to bring your marriage license to your ceremony!
You and your partner, your officiant, and your witnesses will sign the marriage license after the ceremony to make it official!

5. Plan your after party/celebratory dinner/drinks at a nearby restaurant or bar.

Even if your wedding ceremony at the capitol takes only an hour, I highly recommend extending photography coverage for after the ceremony to get celebratory portraits of you and your spouse as well as photos of your after ceremony celebrations.

Some excellent options downtown near the capitol for post-wedding celebratory dinner/drinks include:

Lucille (they have a private vault room that makes for an excellent event space),
Cooper's Tavern (they have a second floor event space AND a cozy private dining cubby that make for memorable dinners),
The Great Dane,
The Statehouse at the Edgewater Hotel,
Merchant,
Graze,
Heritage,
and so many more!