Costly cultural weddings drive some couples to tie the knot in court

Once seen as a quiet alternative, court marriages are becoming first choice—driven by cost, convenience and changing ideas about what marriage should be.

On a weekday afternoon at the Bhaktapur District Court, couples queue quietly outside the civil registration desk. They arrive with documents: citizenship certificates, letters issued by the local ward office confirming single status, and two witnesses in tow. Within an hour, most walk out legally married. There are no wedding processions, no music, and no elaborate rituals—just signatures and a brief exchange.