10 Minimony and Courthouse Wedding Dresses for Easy-Going Brides

Interested in jumping on the minimony trend for your upcoming nuptials? Not sure where to start or what to wear? You’ve come to the right place! We’re here to give you the basics on all things intimate, heartfelt, and minimony – plus give you some insight and inspo from one of our fabulous brides, Louie Angeles, who threw an absolutely stunning city hall wedding! Did we mention if you stick around until the end of the blog, we’ll give you our top picks for courthouse wedding dresses? Read on, brides!

Can You Get Married At Your Local Courthouse?

You can absolutely get married at your local courthouse! Does a minimony wedding that celebrates your love with your partner (without the expensive price tag of a traditional wedding) sound like a dream to you? Exchanging your nuptials at your local courthouse or city hall may be right up your alley! Plus, courthouse wedding dresses are such a dream!

Once you have your marriage license, you can head over to your local courthouse and schedule your wedding day and time! Some allow walk-ins, but we recommend calling or scheduling in person ahead of time! And keep in mind that there is usually a waiting period between getting your marriage license and the actual ceremony!

On the day of your appointment, head to the courthouse or city hall. Bring your marriage license, any witnesses, whatever identification is required, and be prepared to pay any additional fees. And then your ceremony will begin! They’re typically pretty short, around 15-30 minutes. Your ceremony will be performed by either a judge, justice of the peace, or court clerk.

PC: Melody Ayres Griffiths

What Do Brides Wear To A Courthouse Wedding? Are Courthouse Wedding Dresses A Thing?

Although courthouse weddings don’t have to be as traditional and formal as other marriage ceremonies, it is still important to dress appropriately for the occasion! So, let’s talk about courthouse wedding dresses! If you’re still dreaming of a white dress, wearing a stunning wedding dress is totally the vibe! Especially if you want those beautiful wedding photos to document your special day! You can still hire a professional photographer or videographer to capture the ceremony. So, if you want to go all out with your dress, go for it!

Inspo From Louie’s City Hall Wedding

Before we get started, we absolutely have to give a shout-out to Louie’s photographer, Bajo El Sol Photography. They captured some of the most stunning images of her San Francisco City Hall wedding! If you love their work as much as we do, go check them out on their website or Instagram!

Tell us about you and your partner! How did you meet and fall in love?

We actually met on Bumble! Honestly, I initially swiped right on him because he had a picture of his dog, Nugget, in his profile and I just couldn’t say no to getting to know him, and by him I mean Nugget. All jokes aside, we immediately hit it off and I could tell from our first conversation how genuine he was. We were both so comfortable with being our goofy selves with each other that we knew we had something special.

We have to hear the proposal story! Can you take us on a little trip down memory lane?

I love our story! Our proposal had some layers of trickery in it. So for over a decade, Stan’s friends throw him a surprise birthday party every year because he hates celebrating himself but they love celebrating him…while making him squirm a little. I’ve known of this since the beginning because our first date was actually the day before his birthday so I saw this happen immediately after we started dating. Stan used this to his advantage and had his friends “include” me in planning his upcoming surprise party. Here I thought I was tricking him into a surprise dinner in San Francisco at a restaurant he always wanted to eat at, but on the way to dinner, his friends were texting me to stall because they weren’t ready yet. 

They asked me to kill some time by taking him on a walk down Pier 7 which was close to the restaurant. As we walked down the pier together, he stopped halfway down and proposed. He was so nervous he completely forgot his speech and finally blurted out that he loved me and wanted to marry me! He also hired a photographer who secretly captured that moment followed by a quick photo shoot. Afterwards, he told me he made dinner reservations at La Mar right next door which is where we had our first date so we could celebrate our love full circle. What I didn’t realize is that he had flown up my parents and little sister and had them and our close friends waiting for us at dinner to celebrate our engagement. I cried immediately when I saw my family and couldn’t have asked for a better moment.

From what we understand, you got married at San Francisco City Hall in one of our courthouse wedding dresses before your destination wedding in the Philippines. What inspired that decision?

The beauty of San Francisco City Hall! I absolutely fell in love with its aesthetics and history but also saw it as a chance to do a small ceremony with my two closest friends there to witness it. This took some pressure off from our actual wedding ceremony in the Philippines because we had already quietly married and could focus on just having fun with our family and friends in Cebu.

How did having a courthouse and then a destination wedding impact your approach to wedding planning?

It didn’t impact us greatly as we saw them as two separate events and the city hall wedding was so simple and easy to plan that it didn’t pull our attention too much from planning our destination wedding. It was great having both though because it was essentially having two different style weddings to celebrate.

Your bridal look is beautiful! Can you tell us the story behind shopping for and choosing one of our courthouse wedding dresses, Bailey by Sottero and Midgley?

My friends and I went to Janene’s Bridal and they helped me pick the perfect dress! As soon as I tried on Bailey by Sottero and Midgley, my friends and I all fell in love with it! The details, the sequins, the fit…everything was perfect!

How would you describe the feeling of knowing that one of our courthouse wedding dresses is “the one” to other brides who are still looking?

You’ll know it’s the one when you just feel pure joy and excitement wearing it! When I wore Bailey, I felt like a princess! And that’s exactly how you should feel when you pick your dress.

Was there any other inspo that went into creating your bridal look, photography style, venue, or any other details of your wedding aesthetic?

San Francisco City Hall is a very elegant place so I wanted a dress that would match that exact vibe – and my “Bailey” dress was just the perfect dress to wear! 

What were some of the pros and cons of having a courthouse wedding ceremony for you two?

The pros were that it was not expensive at all. It was easier to plan because it wasn’t meant to be an extravagant and complicated event but really just an intimate setting that focused on us officially committing ourselves to each other. Plus it was local and a relatively easy process. The con was having to limit how many people could be there to witness. It’s not like we were going to invite a ton of people to begin with, but there was a limitation.

What advice would you give to other brides planning a minimony-style wedding or looking for courthouse wedding dresses?

Don’t sweat the small things! The day goes by quickly so just enjoy every minute of it.

Do you have any must-know wedding tips and tricks that you’re willing to share with soon-to-be brides?

Bring Q-tips in case you cry and make sure to use a good setting spray for your makeup! I recommend combining the Charlotte Tilbury setting spray + One size setting spray together. They make your makeup last all day long.

Do you feel like having a smaller courthouse ceremony increased the intimacy of your special day? If so, how did that impact you and your partner?

Yes! It made it so special to us having such an intimate ceremony with just two of our closest friends there. It really allowed us to focus on each other and the commitment we were making to each other rather than getting distracted by the details of a larger wedding.

Could you compare your larger destination wedding to your courthouse ceremony? Were there elements you preferred in either?

I absolutely loved them both for what they each were and wouldn’t have done it any other way. The courthouse ceremony was small and intimate which allowed us to stay calm and focused on our commitment. Whereas our destination wedding was our time to have fun and enjoy the moment with our friends and family in another country. Our destination was filled with so many memorable moments that I wish we could just re-live that week over and over again. We laughed non-stop, we cried a lot, and we experienced an incredible bonding moment with each other as well as with our close family and friends.

Courthouse Wedding Dresses for Non-Traditional Brides

Ethelinda by Rebecca Ingram

Trust us, a short wedding dress makes a top-tier style statement for your reception, elopement, minimony, or courthouse celebration. Ethelinda by Rebecca Ingram is simply divine! Plus, did you notice she also comes in black and has pockets?! Too cute!

Cyprus by Sottero and Midgley

This floral Jacquard princess bridal gown is one of our favorite courthouse wedding dresses. It is designed for any and all magical fairytale wedding days. Cyprus by Sottero and Midgley features metallic floral motifs, a sweetheart neckline, and side seam pockets. She’s sure to make your bridal look truly unforgettable!

As far as personalization options, brides can remove the train for a more casual look through special request. They can also purchase matching unembellished floral Jacquard voluminous arm bands or off-the-shoulder fitted long sleeves with soft flared cuffs to accessorize!

Vivica by Maggie Sottero

We take drama very seriously around here. How else would we create a satin mermaid bridal gown with immaculate red carpet vibes? This bridal gown in black is giving non-traditional in the best way! And if you’d like to add even more drama to Vivica by Maggie Sottero, you can extend the train up to 12 inches (or remove it for a more casual look!) through special request!

Floral Courthouse Wedding Dresses

Hilda by Rebecca Ingram

Looking for a style that’s comfortable but also shows off your assets? Cue Hilda by Rebecca Ingram. She’s a lace sexy floral wedding dress that hugs your curves in the easiest and breeziest of silhouettes. Plus you can add cute detachable off-the-shoulder cap sleeves with romantic 3D floral lace!

Blake by Rebecca Ingram

Love boho but you don’t want to look all “Casual Friday” for your nuptials? Good thing we have plenty of beautiful courthouse wedding dresses! This is flirty and western in its most sophisticated form – a chic wedding dress with pearls for your greatest adventure! Blake by Rebecca Ingram features stunning tulle off-the-shoulder cap sleeves, a covered button over zipper closure with a tulle lace-up detail on the back of the bodice, and a playful side slit!

Looking to personalize Blake? Extend the train up to 12 inches for extra drama or add covered buttons down the back through a special request for a vintage vibe!

Simple, Elevated Courthouse Wedding Dresses

Delphine by Maggie Sottero

This sexy bridal gown with exposed boning, Delphine by Maggie Sottero, is made for two categories of brides: couture princesses and chic mermaids! Did you know that Delphine is made with lower-impact materials? Her lining is made of recycled content! 

P.S. did you know we plant a tree in honor of each and every one of our lovely brides? Once you’ve checked out our courthouse wedding dresses, learn more about Maggie Sottero’s Reforestation Efforts with One Tree Planted on our blog!

Iliana by Rebecca Ingram

How to dazzle your guests, sans the bedazzlements: opt for the timeless grace and charm of a simple bridal gown with keyhole bodice made from an exceptionally comfortable satin! We speak, of course, about Iliana by Rebecca Ingram! Plus, you can add matching accessories like a veil and detachable sleeves!

Two-Piece Courthouse Wedding Dresses

Ariana by Maggie Sottero

Embellished and tailored to perfection, this two-piece bohemian wedding gown is designed for both your effortless and sophisticated sensibilities. A few highlights of Ariana by Maggie Sottero include a stunning chiffon skirt, a two-piece bodice embellished with 3-D lace with an illusion bateau neckline and keyhole back, and long illusion bishop sleeves also accented with 3-D lace!

Bennett by Maggie Sottero

So… you’re loving the royal look. Meet Bennett by Maggie Sottero! This two-piece corset wedding gown fuses that enduring romance with a chic and modern silhouette! (Tres sophisticated, if we do say so ourselves.) Not a fan of the train? You can opt to shorten the train up to 36in/91cm or remove it altogether for a more casual look through special request!

Also! Make sure to check out the same style in a different silhouette, Bennett Lane, if you’re a sucker for an A-line courthouse wedding dresses like we are!

Sakura by Sottero and Midgley

Hello, lovelies! This two-piece asymmetrical bridal dress is inspired by all things Shakespearean and Grace Kelly-esque and happily ever after! Just in case you happen to be in the market for something exceptionally enchanting… 

You can personalize Sakura by Sottero and Midgley by extending the train for added drama up to 12 inches, shortening the train up to 12 inches, or removing the train altogether for a more casual look through special request.

Loving these courthouse wedding dresses? Us too! Try them on IRL at one of our Authorized Retailers near you!

More blogs like this:

Maggie’s Guide to Planning a Destination Wedding

15 Simple Elegant Wedding Dresses for a Chic Celebration

10 Chic & Casual Wedding Dresses for Lowkey Brides