St. Joseph Michigan, "Wedding Capital of the Midwest" Early 1900s

There was a time when one particular Michigan town held the title of “Wedding Capital of the Midwest”.

That town was St. Joseph in Berrien County.

For approximately 25 years in the early 1900s, thousands of young Chicago couples anxious to get married (and have a honeymoon) boarded ships that transported them across Lake Michigan to St. Joseph where they could tie the knot and clamp on the ol’ ball & chain.

Get our free mobile app

Why would they cross the lake to get married? Why not get married in Chicago?

There was a Michigan law that required no waiting period, where others had a five-day wait. According to author Le Roy Barnett via the Herold Palladium, "The county clerk would even meet people at trains and marry them in two minutes."

Not only was there no waiting period, but also no requirement for witnesses or to be a resident, and you had to be at least 18. A marriage license cost two bucks, and for an extra fifty cents they would throw in “a fancy white book with silver leafs (leaves) and Cupids.”

With the popularity of getting married in St. Joseph spreading, more steamboats and ships had to be added to accommodate the thousands of starry-eyed brides-to-be and lustful males who desperately wanted a ‘honeymoon night’.

It turned into an event for the locals of St. Joseph to come down to the docks and wait for the boats to arrive. Then they could hang around and watch the quickie wedding ceremonies.

'"Thousands of people (would) line the docks to welcome the couples. Watching the marriage ceremonies became a spectator sport.”

Other Michigan communities wanted to get in on the cash flow by offering other perks, like cigars, chocolates, a bed, perfume.....and divorce proceedings if the couple changed their minds. Cassopolis, Detroit, Hillsdale County, Port Huron, and various spots in the Upper Peninsula all tried to compete. But it was St. Joseph and Berrien County who came out on top and became known as the "Wedding Capital of the Midwest”.

That all changed in 1925 when Michigan legislators changed it back to a five-day waiting period.

.....and that was that.