1910 Harris County Courthouse Elopement | Downtown Houston Wedding
This intimate wedding at the Historic 1910 Harris County Courthouse is such a good example of why I love photographing courthouse weddings in Houston. With their closest family beside them, this couple exchanged vows outside the courthouse and then spent some time exploring downtown Houston with me for newlywed portraits.
The entire celebration was simple, elegant and focused on what mattered most to them.
The bride wore a beautiful ivory LPA dress with her hair pulled into a sleek bun, while the groom chose a classic navy suit. Their family coordinated in shades of navy and blue, which looked especially beautiful against the pale stone and historic architecture of the courthouse.
An Outdoor Ceremony at the 1910 Harris County Courthouse
Houston weather kept us guessing a little that day, with the sun moving in and out of the clouds. Their ceremony took place outside near the top of the courthouse's grand front steps, surrounded by their closest family.
And it worked beautifully.
That's something I always want couples considering the 1910 Courthouse to know: an outdoor ceremony isn't a consolation prize.
The courthouse is a working government building, so access to the indoor rotunda can change based on courthouse operations. Even if you're hoping to marry inside, it's important to be comfortable with the possibility that your ceremony may take place outside.
Fortunately, the exterior of the 1910 Courthouse is one of my favorite parts of the property to photograph. The stone architecture, columns and steps give even a very small ceremony a sense of occasion.
There's also a beautiful covered exterior landing that can give us another option if Houston decides to send us rain.
An Intimate Houston Courthouse Wedding With Family
After the ceremony, we stayed around the courthouse for family photographs.
With a smaller guest list, family portraits don't have to become a huge production. We were able to photograph the people who came to celebrate with them and then transition naturally into portraits of the newlyweds.
That's one of the things I appreciate about courthouse weddings.
The day can still include a meaningful ceremony, family photographs and beautiful wedding portraits without requiring an eight- or ten-hour traditional wedding timeline.
For this couple, their family was there for the part that mattered most: watching them get married.
Downtown Houston Wedding Portraits After the Ceremony
Once we'd finished family photographs, the three of us headed out on foot.
We walked just a few blocks around the courthouse, but that's all we needed to create a completely different look from their ceremony photographs.
Downtown Houston gives us historic buildings, city streets, brick sidewalks and more modern architectural backgrounds within a relatively small area. I love using the courthouse itself for classic portraits and then incorporating the surrounding city for photographs that feel a little more relaxed and contemporary.
There's also something fun about walking through downtown immediately after getting married. Instead of moving straight into a reception timeline, couples get a little time together to enjoy the fact that they're officially married.
I gave them direction when they needed it, but we also walked, talked, laughed and let some of the photographs happen naturally.
You Don't Need a Traditional Wedding to Have Beautiful Wedding Photos
This is one of the reasons courthouse weddings have become some of my favorite celebrations to photograph.
A smaller wedding doesn't mean giving up the parts of a wedding day that matter to you.
You can still wear an incredible dress.
Carry beautiful flowers.
Invite your closest family.
Have professional hair and makeup.
Take wedding portraits around Houston.
Go somewhere wonderful for dinner afterward.
Or you can keep the entire thing incredibly simple.
The freedom to choose is part of what makes an elopement or micro wedding so appealing. You're building the day around the experience you actually want rather than filling a timeline with traditions simply because they're expected.
What to Know Before Getting Married at the 1910 Courthouse
There is one important distinction couples should understand before planning a wedding here:
You don't book your ceremony through the 1910 Harris County Courthouse!
The courthouse is a public-access, working government building. Couples arrange their ceremony through an officiant, such as Judge Jay Karahan, Weddings by Ingrid, Twin Flames of Texas or their own qualified ordained minister.
Courthouse officials maintain authority over access to the building, so an indoor ceremony in the rotunda can never be treated as completely guaranteed. Court business may require the building to close to the public or restrict access, sometimes with little notice.
There are also specific photography restrictions inside the courthouse.
Because those details can change, I've put all of the current planning information in a separate guide rather than duplicating it here.
Planning your own wedding at Houston's historic 1910 Harris County Courthouse? I've photographed several weddings here and put together a complete 1910 Harris County Courthouse Wedding Guide with information about officiants, marriage licenses, ceremony locations, photography rules, costs and what to expect.
1910 Harris County Courthouse Wedding Photography
My current 1910 Courthouse wedding photography coverage is $795.
Because I've photographed several weddings here, I'm familiar with the courthouse as well as the surrounding downtown area. I can help you think through where we'll photograph, how much time you'll need, family portraits and what we'll do if your original ceremony plan needs to change.
My approach is relaxed and guided. You don't need to know how to pose or arrive with a list of photographs copied from Pinterest. I'll give you direction when it's helpful while leaving room for the interactions that make the day yours.
If you're planning a 1910 Harris County Courthouse wedding, Houston elopement or micro wedding, I'd love to hear what you're planning.
