The paperwork costs $24 and takes one appointment. Here is how it works when the ceremony is in Newport.
Rhode Island licenses come from city and town clerks and cost $24. Couples from out of state must apply in the town where the ceremony happens, so a Newport wedding means Newport City Hall at 43 Broadway, by appointment through the city's online form; summer slots go fast. Bring certified birth certificates, photo ID, and divorce decrees if they apply. There is no waiting period and no blood test, and the license stays valid for 3 months.
Rhode Island lets a friend officiate through the Secretary of State's One Day Officiant certificate: $22 online, up to 5 business days to process, and good for one named ceremony only. Online ordination by itself is not the Rhode Island path. You also need two witnesses, both 18 or older.
After the ceremony, the officiant has 72 hours to return the signed license to the clerk who issued it; the marriage is not on record until that happens. Certified copies cost $22 for the first and $18 for each additional, and you will want extras for name changes and bank paperwork.