San Diego County is turning its downtown Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk office into a wedding factory on Saturday, opening specially for Valentine's Day civil ceremonies and bracing to perform more than 150 weddings in a single day. Couples can either book ahead or roll the dice on a walk-in at the waterfront County Administration Center, in a one-day weekend opening designed to tackle the annual Valentine's rush.
Where and when couples can say “I do”
According to ARCC, the downtown County Administration Center at 1600 Pacific Highway will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday for both marriage license issuance and civil ceremonies. The release lists fees of $129 for a non-confidential marriage license and $107 for a ceremony performed by county staff, with services offered in English or Spanish. Appointments, which opened in December, can be made online or by phone, while walk-ins will be squeezed in as space and time allow.
County says demand will be high
The county's official X account says staff are gearing up to complete "more than 150 weddings" on Saturday, according to San Diego County on X. In the same spirit, Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk Jordan Marks is quoted in the ARCC release saying, "Our team loves being part of your love story." As KPBS notes, the ARCC issues nearly 25,000 marriage licenses and performs more than 11,000 weddings a year, with Valentine's Day reliably landing among its busiest dates.
Planning a wedding can take months. Now imagine getting ready for more than 150 weddings all in one day. The County is doing just that for Valentine's Day.https://t.co/aem67fDzOc
— SanDiegoCounty (@SanDiegoCounty) February 13, 2026
How couples can prepare
Couples aiming to tie the knot on Saturday are urged to reserve a slot if they can, since local outlets report that walk-in demand often outpaces what staff can handle. As reported by 10News, ceremonies may take place either at the Waterfront Park arbor or inside the County Administration Center's indoor ceremony rooms. Those showing up without an appointment are advised to bring valid identification and any required paperwork so the same-day license and ceremony process does not hit any snags.
