What Do You Wear To Get Married At The Courthouse?

naturalnurse04

Hey guys! In order to save time, MONEY, and resources, my fiance' and I have decided to get married at the JOP (Justice of the Peace) in September. Although this isn't a typical "wedding", I still consider it my special day and I want to look as beautiful as possible. So, what in the world am I suposed to wear? I can't show up to the courthouse in full wedding attire. I still want to wear a dress of some sorts, but I don't want to be "too dressy" but at the same time I don't want to be "too casual" because it is my wedding day. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!

RedCatWaves

With that kind of wedding, you can wear anything you want. Anything. Wear whatever makes you feel beautiful.

For my courthouse wedding, I wore just an off-white day dress that already I had in my closet.

Snarls

My mother got married at the courthouse. This was in Germany, about a billion years ago of course (actually, I can honestly say that it was in a completely different century!).

She wore a suit. A nice skirt with matching suit top and a nice blouse. She's always had a lot of fashionable suits.

I'm all about saving money and I pretty much hate formal ceremonies but take it from me. If you think you're going to have children and one of those might be female, she is going to be HUGELY disappointed not to see pictures of you. In a big ole white wedding dress. With a veil and a train (? is that really how it's spelled?) and a tiara and also tuxedos as far as the eye can see. And then also, say, your sister or brother-in-law goes and gets married in an actual church, and your 4-year old daughter is there--her first wedding!--and the bride wears a suit She'll never forget that either.

So before you have kids of the female persuasion, get some photos taken of you in Princess Di type wedding attire.

frau

i'd go to dress barn and find something. they have nice dresses that aren't very expensive or over dressy.

gemini

RedCatWaves wrote: »

With that kind of wedding, you can wear anything you want. Anything. Wear whatever makes you feel beautiful.

For my courthouse wedding, I wore just an off-white day dress that already I had in my closet.

I agree!

I wore jeans, but did so knowing we would have the formal ceremony at a later date. I would have gone dressier if not for that.

frau

if i wanted to still look bride-ish i might wear something like:

SarahMarie

I just got married in March. We didn't get married at the courthouse, but a small chapel with just my immediate family there. I wore a semi-casual prom dress. I wanted to look pretty, but didn't want to spend $500 or more on a dress I would wear once. There are prom dresses that look like wedding dresses, but they cost $100 or less; my dress was $75. I can also wear my dress again to another event (although not a wedding since it is white). My husband just wore khakis and a button up shirt. I wish he would have dressed up a little more, but that's what he had.

If you have lots of friends and relatives, make sure you get at least a few pictures taken so everyone can see! In the end, it is your wedding, even if you're just going to the courthouse. Wear what you want!

ETA: I got a prom dress because they were on sale at the store and had the formal look I wanted without being over the top. There are a lot of nice white dresses out there, like the ones Frau posted, that could be nice.

DarkAngel

I work in the courthouse and one of my best friends is a judge who pulls me in as a witness for weddings when I have free time. I've seen the full range of attire from traditional wedding gowns to jeans. Wear whatever make you happy on your special day!

subbrock

another vote for whatever you want.

i had a friend get married at the courthouse and she basically had a regular wedding at the courthouse. horse drawn carriage that dropped her off/picked them up, a maid of honor, the fancy white dress, flowers, a photographer, and guests (about 15). i never realized just how unusual that was until i typed it out!

The New Black

My mom wore a knee length light blue dress.

rainshower

my husband wore a suit and tie.

as part of my wedding gift, my mother bought me a white lace just-below-the-knee, short-sleeved dress, a pearl necklace and matching earrings. i had my hair pinned up in curls with pearl combs that i found at an accessories store. i still have my dress. i've worn it to church a few times since getting married.

rockthecurlz

When my mom remarried in the early 90's, she also went to the court house. She wore a light pink church dress. The men wore button up shirts with ties. I think you have to wear what you are comfortable in. I agree a dress would be nice.

KinkyKeeper

I think a cute White business like dress in white is cute. Kind of like acknowledging the non-dressy way you are getting married but also being tongue in cheek with the White and acknowledging you are at your wedding.

Something kind of like what Carrie had on in the Sex and the City movie when she and Big got married in the courthouse.


Congrats!

guinness

Anything you want, as formal as you want! Do a google image search on San Francisco city hall weddings and wedding photographers -- people most definitely show up in full wedding attire!

Krayt

Well, quite frankly, its YOUR wedding. It doesn't matter where its at, you can wear whatever you want. Since its your wedding. Pretty simple .

frau

KinkyKeeper wrote: »

Something kind of like what Carrie had on in the Sex and the City movie when she and Big got married in the courthouse.

i didn't see that movie yet! :angryfire:
(wow, who knew, but yay!)

Amneris

I see people at the courthouse taking pictures in traditional white dresses and veils and tuxedos with flowers and wedding parties in the traditional tuxes and matching long dresses all the time. I have never thought that JOP wedding meant less formal. I agree that you should wear whatever you want - if you want to dress down more, go for it, but if you don't want to miss out on traditional wedding wear then do it.

scrills

frau wrote: »

KinkyKeeper wrote: »

Something kind of like what Carrie had on in the Sex and the City movie when she and Big got married in the courthouse.

i didn't see that movie yet! :angryfire:
(wow, who knew, but yay!)

don't worry Frau, that's just a dream sequence in the movie. This never happened ;-)

I'm all about saving money and I pretty much hate formal ceremonies but take it from me. If you think you're going to have children and one of those might be female, she is going to be HUGELY disappointed not to see pictures of you. In a big ole white wedding dress. With a veil and a train (? is that really how it's spelled?) and a tiara and also tuxedos as far as the eye can see. And then also, say, your sister or brother-in-law goes and gets married in an actual church, and your 4-year old daughter is there--her first wedding!--and the bride wears a suit She'll never forget that either.

So before you have kids of the female persuasion, get some photos taken of you in Princess Di type wedding attire.

hmm, I a little interested why you posted this. My mom wasn't very formal at her wedding. She doesn't like her legs so she wore a white pants suit. Come to think of it, i can't really imagine my mom in a big puffy gown. Turns out, i'm not one of those women who has been dreaming about her wedding since she was little. I would like a nice dress, but I can do without all the formality.hmm, interesting....

KinkyKeeper

frau wrote: »

KinkyKeeper wrote: »

Something kind of like what Carrie had on in the Sex and the City movie when she and Big got married in the courthouse.

i didn't see that movie yet! :angryfire:
(wow, who knew, but yay!)

Whoops. I thought about not posting it but I figured anybody who really wanted to see the movie would have seen it by now. But yeah shouldn't have posted it. Sorry. Just go with the dream sequence thing. *You didn't see anything*

VTmom

frau wrote: »

i'd go to dress barn and find something. they have nice dresses that aren't very expensive or over dressy.

ditto. my friend found a beautiful, cream-colored, tea length, little-bit-lacey dress there for her wedding. i think it cost her $50.

naturalnurse04

Thanks for all the suggestions! I feel alot better about having my courthouse wedding now, because alot of people look at me like I'm crazy because I didn't want the big wedding. There's nothing wrong with it, but it's just not me. I've always been a "jeans and t-shirt or sundress and flip flops" kind of girl, so the idea of the big white dress never really did it for me. I was thinking of a tea length dress or maybe a maxi dress. I'm not sure it will be white. I'm just going to go with whatever catches my eye and screams "Me!". I think it's kind of cool to be different. Will I be pushing the box too much if my dress isn't all white?

Snarls, We are definately planning on having professional pictures taken and maybe I'll get a little more dressed up for those so that I will have some type of formal pictures. I never thought about what my future daughter might think. Thanks!

LikeAustralia

naturalnurse04 wrote: »

Thanks for all the suggestions! I feel alot better about having my courthouse wedding now, because alot of people look at me like I'm crazy because I didn't want the big wedding. There's nothing wrong with it, but it's just not me. I've always been a "jeans and t-shirt or sundress and flip flops" kind of girl, so the idea of the big white dress never really did it for me. I was thinking of a tea length dress or maybe a maxi dress. I'm not sure it will be white. I'm just going to go with whatever catches my eye and screams "Me!". I think it's kind of cool to be different. Will I be pushing the box too much if my dress isn't all white?

Snarls, We are definately planning on having professional pictures taken and maybe I'll get a little more dressed up for those so that I will have some type of formal pictures. I never thought about what my future daughter might think. Thanks!

You sound just like me!!! I am planning to have a courthouse wedding as soon as we can afford the rings (hopefully after next year's tax refund). I am planning to wear a light yellow or white with yellow sash tea length dress. Hopefully cotton or linen-nothing satiny or shiny. I haven't found one yet that I want, but I am on the lookout. And I'm DEFINITELY wearing Flipflops! I hope you find what you're looking for

Amneris

Snarls wrote: »

My mother got married at the courthouse. This was in Germany, about a billion years ago of course (actually, I can honestly say that it was in a completely different century!).

She wore a suit. A nice skirt with matching suit top and a nice blouse. She's always had a lot of fashionable suits.

I'm all about saving money and I pretty much hate formal ceremonies but take it from me. If you think you're going to have children and one of those might be female, she is going to be HUGELY disappointed not to see pictures of you. In a big ole white wedding dress. With a veil and a train (? is that really how it's spelled?) and a tiara and also tuxedos as far as the eye can see. And then also, say, your sister or brother-in-law goes and gets married in an actual church, and your 4-year old daughter is there--her first wedding!--and the bride wears a suit She'll never forget that either.

So before you have kids of the female persuasion, get some photos taken of you in Princess Di type wedding attire.

That's a generalization. I don't think I cared that much about how my mama looked at her wedding. She wore a cream lace wedding dress and mantilla, which she still had and let us try on once in a while, but they only had a few wedding photos which were not displayed and we saw them only a few times - I can't even picture what they look like at all. I know she did not wear a tiara, nor did I (don't really like those, actually) and she did not have a long train - the dress was Spanish-style with the tiered skirt. My daddy and the men did not wear tuxes - they wore suits and ties because they could only afford to get something they could use again for job interviews, etc. As to myself, I wore a traditional dress and veil but in cream and pink and there were certainly no tiaras or any Princess-Di type stuff.

My girlfriend's parents got married in jeans and she was very proud of the pictures, and I thought it was a cool idea, too. My ex-boyfriend's parents wore dashikis and afros and I LOVED their pictures. My mama's best college friend got married in a navy blue minidress so she could use it again. I think a lot of people who got married in the 60s and 70s were unconventional brides and grooms and I don't think most of their kids cared.

subbrock

Amneris wrote: »

Snarls wrote: »

My mother got married at the courthouse. This was in Germany, about a billion years ago of course (actually, I can honestly say that it was in a completely different century!).

She wore a suit. A nice skirt with matching suit top and a nice blouse. She's always had a lot of fashionable suits.

I'm all about saving money and I pretty much hate formal ceremonies but take it from me. If you think you're going to have children and one of those might be female, she is going to be HUGELY disappointed not to see pictures of you. In a big ole white wedding dress. With a veil and a train (? is that really how it's spelled?) and a tiara and also tuxedos as far as the eye can see. And then also, say, your sister or brother-in-law goes and gets married in an actual church, and your 4-year old daughter is there--her first wedding!--and the bride wears a suit She'll never forget that either.

So before you have kids of the female persuasion, get some photos taken of you in Princess Di type wedding attire.

That's a generalization. I don't think I cared that much about how my mama looked at her wedding. She wore a cream lace wedding dress and mantilla, which she still had and let us try on once in a while, but they only had a few wedding photos which were not displayed and we saw them only a few times - I can't even picture what they look like at all. I know she did not wear a tiara, nor did I (don't really like those, actually) and she did not have a long train - the dress was Spanish-style with the tiered skirt. My daddy and the men did not wear tuxes - they wore suits and ties because they could only afford to get something they could use again for job interviews, etc. As to myself, I wore a traditional dress and veil but in cream and pink and there were certainly no tiaras or any Princess-Di type stuff.

me neither. my mom and dad got married in a church but it was a super small wedding (like less than 10 people were there) and she wore a white suit. ive only looked at the pictures a handful of times. my parents wedding and what my mom wore never interested me.

LikeAustralia

subbrock wrote: »

Amneris wrote: »

Snarls wrote: »

My mother got married at the courthouse. This was in Germany, about a billion years ago of course (actually, I can honestly say that it was in a completely different century!).

She wore a suit. A nice skirt with matching suit top and a nice blouse. She's always had a lot of fashionable suits.

I'm all about saving money and I pretty much hate formal ceremonies but take it from me. If you think you're going to have children and one of those might be female, she is going to be HUGELY disappointed not to see pictures of you. In a big ole white wedding dress. With a veil and a train (? is that really how it's spelled?) and a tiara and also tuxedos as far as the eye can see. And then also, say, your sister or brother-in-law goes and gets married in an actual church, and your 4-year old daughter is there--her first wedding!--and the bride wears a suit She'll never forget that either.

So before you have kids of the female persuasion, get some photos taken of you in Princess Di type wedding attire.

That's a generalization. I don't think I cared that much about how my mama looked at her wedding. She wore a cream lace wedding dress and mantilla, which she still had and let us try on once in a while, but they only had a few wedding photos which were not displayed and we saw them only a few times - I can't even picture what they look like at all. I know she did not wear a tiara, nor did I (don't really like those, actually) and she did not have a long train - the dress was Spanish-style with the tiered skirt. My daddy and the men did not wear tuxes - they wore suits and ties because they could only afford to get something they could use again for job interviews, etc. As to myself, I wore a traditional dress and veil but in cream and pink and there were certainly no tiaras or any Princess-Di type stuff.

me neither. my mom and dad got married in a church but it was a super small wedding (like less than 10 people were there) and she wore a white suit. ive only looked at the pictures a handful of times. my parents wedding and what my mom wore never interested me.

My parents got married in my mom's mom's living room. She wore a white skirt suit and my dad wore a black suit, not a tux. They wouldn't have been able to afford the "princess di" stuff, nor could I ever imagine her/them ever wearing anything different. Not every little girl has the princess fantasy. Don't worry about what your future children or anyone else, for that matter, is going to think. Do it how you want!

ETA: My dad also had an afro (or a jewfro, if you're familiar with the term). It was the 70s!

LoloDSM

Check out David's Bridal too. I bought my dress there for $99. It was actually a bridemaid's dress - champagne colored with black velvet trim. I didn't want traditional white either. :flower:

My mom got married in a suit. I think it was dark green.

Wear what you want and what you will comfortable wearing. The wedding is only one day. It's what happens afterwards that's important.

Congratulations!

Amneris

I agree - the wedding is only one day, and though while you are engaged, and surrounded by people getting married, the details of the day seem SOOOO important, they really are not in the grand scheme of things, and it is the marriage that is most important. I don't care what my parents wore because I care more about the long, strong marriage they've had, the example they set of how to forgive and compromise, the kind of family life and home environment they provided for us. I have been married almost 5 years and the details of the wedding become less important and more hazy as time passes. I don't look at the pictures or think about it that often now because I'm living my life. I think it is great to be a pretty bride, wonderful to have nice memories, but when it comes down to it, it is your marriage as a whole and your family life that deserve your attention. I want to make a good life for my family and I hope that that is what they will remember me for and not whether I looked like some silly princess who had a marriage filled with infidelity and heartache.

PartyHair

naturalnurse04 wrote: »

Thanks for all the suggestions! I feel alot better about having my courthouse wedding now, because alot of people look at me like I'm crazy because I didn't want the big wedding. There's nothing wrong with it, but it's just not me. I've always been a "jeans and t-shirt or sundress and flip flops" kind of girl, so the idea of the big white dress never really did it for me. I was thinking of a tea length dress or maybe a maxi dress. I'm not sure it will be white. I'm just going to go with whatever catches my eye and screams "Me!". I think it's kind of cool to be different. Will I be pushing the box too much if my dress isn't all white?

Snarls, We are definately planning on having professional pictures taken and maybe I'll get a little more dressed up for those so that I will have some type of formal pictures. I never thought about what my future daughter might think. Thanks!

I got married in red, so...

Wear what you want to, whatever makes you feel beautiful!

And congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

SarahMarie

I agree with PartyHair. The color doesn't matter. I stuck with the traditional white, but my dress had some black beading on it.

People also thought I was crazy for not wanting to have a big wedding. I never pictured myself having a big, elaborate wedding. The people that mostly voiced this were my friends who were young and not yet married or who had just had their big dream wedding. Most of my older friends, most happily married, said I was smart for saving money and avoiding stress. In the end, it's the marriage that counts.

I know a girl who had a huge, extremely expensive wedding. She looked like a princess for a day. She had everything she wanted. The marriage lasted all of one year. The girl later admitted that she knew it probably wouldn't last, but she wanted to be a princess for the day. The point is the wedding location or size or amount of money spend doesn't determine the outcome of the marriage.

luvmylocs

i just want to say congratulations!!!

you've gotten some great ideas! since you're going to take professional pics (great idea), i would pic my outfit based on what i'd want to see in pics that will last forever. since you're not doing a big wedding (i feel the same way), you should still make the days special, buy a dress you really like, get your nails done, maybe go to a makeup counter to get your makeup done (possibly for free), love your hair that day...

again, congratulations!

SarahMarie

I got my hair and makeup done at a school. The girl who did everything was just about to graduate. Everything turned out looking beautiful and it cost $20 for both hair and makeup. This may not be something you want to take a risk on, but it worked for me.

Congratulations, by the way (I don't think I said that in any of my previous posts:oops:)!