Weddings are beautiful — but they can also be expensive, exhausting, and overwhelming. In India, even a modest ceremony often involves days of planning, social obligations, and significant expenses. My long-time partner and I decided to take a different route: court marriage.
This article walks you through our exact experience — how we legally got married under the Special Marriage Act 1954, what documents we needed, the real-time costs we incurred, and why it’s absolutely possible to get married for under ₹1500 in India.
🌿 Why We Chose Court Marriage
In April 2025, we helped my brother plan his traditional wedding. While it was heartfelt and beautiful, we witnessed the stress it brought to our family. Despite keeping it small, the arrangements, rituals, coordination, and costs made it a huge undertaking.
That’s when my partner, Ruchi, and I decided — we wanted something simple, meaningful, and legally valid. No stress, no chaos, just the two of us and our families.
Court marriage gave us that peace.
📝 What is Court Marriage?
Court marriage is a legal union performed under the Special Marriage Act, 1954, where two individuals can marry without converting religions or following religious rituals. It is applicable to all Indian citizens, irrespective of caste, religion, or faith.
It involves:
- Filing a Notice of Intended Marriage
- A 30-day notice period (public posting)
- Appearing with witnesses on the final day
- Official solemnization and issuance of a marriage certificate
📅 Our Timeline
- 17th April 2025: Filed our Notice of Intended Marriage
- 28th May 2025: Got married at the Registrar’s Office
We planned it so our families could join, and the process was smooth.
🧾 Step-by-Step Court Marriage Procedure
Step 1: Collect the Application Form
Visit the Marriage Registrar’s office in your district. Request the Notice of Intended Marriage form.
You can also download the form from some state websites, but in Rajasthan, we found it better to collect it physically to avoid confusion.
Step 2: Fill the Form + Attach Documents
Once you have the form:
- Fill it using typed/printed text only
- Paste passport-size photographs of both bride and groom
- Affix a ₹2 postal ticket (on the top corner of the very first page)
- Sign where required
💡 Important: The form must be printed on green legal-sized sheets known as Pi Papers, not white A4 sheets.
Step 3: Get the Form Attested
Get the completed form notarized by a Public Notary. This gives it legal validity before submission. I am not sure if this is mandatory or not, but we were told to do this, and I did not give this much thought, and did it.
In our case, we paid ₹400 to a notary for the attestation of our documents and application form.
Step 4: Submit the Application
Submit the filled and notarized form at the marriage office with:
- All required documents (see below)
- Self-attested photocopies of each
Upon submission, the Marriage Officer will issue a public notice and display it on their office board for 30 days. This is done to allow objections (if any).
📂 Documents Required for Court Marriage
Here are the documents we submitted:
- Aadhaar Card (Bride & Groom)
- 10th Marksheet (OR Birth Certificate) (Bride & Groom)
- Domicile Certificate (Bride & Groom) – We were told by the office that this was mandatory in Rajasthan
- 8 Passport-size Photographs each
- One Postal Ticket (₹2)
- 4 Stamp Papers (₹50 each)
- Approx. 20 Pi Papers (Green Legal Sheets)
- Self-attested photocopies of all the above
🔑 All documents must be printed, not handwritten.
🗒 The Marriage Office may ask for other local documents. We suggest visiting your local office once in advance to avoid last-minute surprises.
Step 5: Wait for the Notice Period to Expire
After submission, there is a 30-day notice period. If no one raises any objection, your marriage can be solemnized any day after that, within the next 60 days.
In our case:
- We filed on 17th April 2025
- We solemnized on 28th May 2025
Step 6: Day of the Marriage
On the chosen date:
- We reached the office with our 8 family members combined. My father, her mother & brother became 3 witnesses as required.
- The Registrar’s office handed us a Declaration Form for both the bride and the groom, and for each witness
- We got the forms printed on Pi Papers, filled with typed details
- Submitted it along with photocopies of the witnesses’ Aadhaar cards
The Marriage officer called all of us inside and reviewed all the documents. He:
- Verified identities
- Asked basic questions (name, consent, age, etc.)
- Got our signatures on several places
- Got witnesses to sign the documents
After that, his assistant guided us to finalize the papers and told us when to come to collect the Marriage Certificate.
💸 Total Cost of Our Court Marriage
| Expense Item | Amount (INR) |
|---|---|
| Postal Ticket (₹2) | 2 |
| Pi Papers (~20 x ₹1) | 20 |
| Passport Photographs (Urgent Prints) | 260 |
| Stamp Papers (4 x ₹50) | 320 |
| Printing (Application + Legal Forms) | 200 + 290 = 490 |
| Public Notary Charges | 400 |
| Govt. Filing Fee on Marriage Day | 100 |
| Total Cost | ₹1592 |
🧮 Can You Do It for Under ₹500?
Yes!
I still consider the actual cost to be under ₹500, as the rest were optional expenses. I opted to use the photo, printing, and attestation services offered by vendors outside the marriage office for convenience, even though I could have done it for free using my printer and personal contacts. So in my case, it was a chosen expense. If you manage smartly, you can reduce the cost drastically:
| Mandatory Cost Breakdown | Amount (INR) |
|---|---|
| Postal Ticket | 2 |
| Stamp Papers | 320 |
| Govt. Filing Fee | 100 |
| DIY Printing & Photos | ~70 |
| Total | ₹492 |
🔍 Final Things to Keep in Mind
- Do not write anything by hand — print everything
- Use only green legal-size Pi papers
- Double-check documents before submission
- Witnesses must carry their original Aadhaar cards
- Plan printing and notarization at least 2–3 days in advance to save cost, as people who sit near the marriage office usually overcharge because you will end up paying them anyway, to save your time.
💬 Our Experience
We were surprised at how smooth the process was. The staff were polite, the paperwork was logical, and there were no hidden charges except the ₹100 court fee. It hardly took 2 hours, and that too because two other couples were waiting before us to get their marriage solemnized.
Whether you want a low-budget wedding or just a no-drama legal beginning, court marriage is the most practical, peaceful, and pocket-friendly option.
✅ Summary
- Court Marriage is easy, cheap, and legally valid
- Notice + Declaration + Marriage Day = All Done
- The total cost can be under ₹1500, even under ₹500 if managed smartly
- You need basic documents, Pi papers, witnesses, and patience
- Ideal for inter-religious, inter-caste, or simple love marriages
Have questions or need help with your own court marriage process?
Feel free to drop your questions in the comments below or reach out to me directly. I’ll be happy to guide you through the steps or clarify anything based on my experience.
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