10 Sweet & Simple Courthouse Weddings (That Still Have Tons of Style)

Written by

Taryn Williford
Taryn Williford
Taryn is a writer, editor, content strategist, and homebody from Atlanta. I might have helped you declutter your apartment through the magic of a well-paced email newsletter. Or maybe you know me from The Pickle Factory Loft on Instagram.
updated May 3, 2019
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Post Image
(Image credit: LL Style Photo)

If the stress of wedding planning is enough to make your head explode, you and your beloved might just be the ideal candidates for a short, sweet and itty-bitty city hall wedding. There’s a long list of “pros”: Courthouse weddings are affordable, they come together quickly, and they can still be just as drop dead gorgeous as the bigger bashes.

They’re more personal, too. The NYC wedding captured above by LL Style Photo starts out sounding like an average day in the bride and groom’s life. They met their photographer at their Brooklyn apartment in the morning, took a stroll around their neighborhood, then hopped a cab to city hall to meet their families and start their marriage together.

Check out the gallery below to see more of their wedding, as well as nine others that capture the intimate spirit of a city hall wedding without sacrificing style.

1 / 10
Prospect Park Session & City Hall Wedding, LL Style Photo (Image credit: LL Style Photo)

How to Inject Your Courthouse Wedding with Style

Courthouse weddings are definitely easier to plan than massive events where the guest list is higher than Spartans at The Battle of Thermopylae. But making a courthouse wedding look this good will require a little bit of preparation:

  • Hire a talented photographer. They’ll capture your day in exactly the way you remember it: sweet and simple but more beautiful and meaningful than words could ever say.
  • Splurge on great attire. This is the time to buy the beautiful frock you’ve always wanted (whether it’s white or not). Courthouse brides have one really big advantage over the ballroom types: You can wear clothes that look more like, well, clothes. The kinds of things you wear every day, but way better.
  • Pick your favorite “weddingy” things. Without the pressure of the W-word hanging over your head, you’re free to pick and choose whatever matrimonial details you like. White dress? No white dress? Veil? No veil? Bouquet? No bouquet? It’s all up to you.
  • Stick with tradition, if you’d like. If there are any cultural or religious traditions you want to do, do them! You can jump the broom right inside the courthouse, or break a glass on the steps of city hall.
  • Keep the guest list small. You’ll need a witness or two, but you’ll likely be limited to a really small guest list (call ahead to your city hall or courthouse to see what the limit is). Having a super tiny wedding could be a bummer, but think of it this way: Everyone watching you say “I do” will be somebody you absolutely, positively couldn’t do it without.

Did you have a small, official wedding? What’s your best advice?

The complete guide to modern weddings.