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Courthouse weddings are quickly becoming a popular way to get hitched without all the fluff. And if you’ve never envisioned yourself having a huge wedding, a courthouse wedding might be the perfect compromise to just not having anything at all. My wife and I had a courthouse wedding and we had a blast! We saved a lot of time on planning and of course so much money, and we still had the best day ever. We were able to use the money we saved to go to Thailand! Another one of my courthouse couples headed to Iceland for a second intimate wedding after their courthouse wedding (and took me with them!)

In case a simple, sophisticated courthouse wedding sounds right up your alley, here are ten ways to make the day even more special than it already is!

1. Invite your family

Contrary to popular belief, you are allowed to invite people to your courthouse wedding. My wedding had about 10-12 family members in tow. Courtney and Chris invited about the same amount. Inviting your closest family members to your courthouse wedding will not only add to the celebration, but it will also make your family feel included in your day, one of the fears a lot of parents (possibly silently) have when you tell them you’re headed to the courthouse.

2. Rock a look that’s totally you

One of the benefits of getting married at the courthouse: you have ZERO traditions that you are expected to uphold. All wedding days are about you, but most people dont dare show up to their own wedding dressed in anything but the usual white dress, and/or black/grey/blue suit. But with courthouses, honey, anything goes! I wore a neutral-toned, 3/4 sleeve dress that I found online a few days prior. It was totally my style, and to be honest, I never really saw myself in a ‘wedding dress’ anyway. My wife wore a dressy white shirt, and neutral-toned pants to match. We also bought matching white converse to change into afterwards! Alex and Novi opted for

Use this opportunity to really rock a look that is 100% you, not the ‘wedding day’ version of you. Everyone will survive!

3. buy some flowers

If you’re nervous that you wont feel like you’re really getting married, it’s totally ok to incorporate some full wedding traditions into your day. Purchase a bouquet from your local flower shop or if you have DIY skills head to Trader Joes, they always offer an amazing assortment of flowers. Wrap a ribbon around that sucker and voila! Wedding bouquet!

4. Hire a Photographer

You may think because a courthouse wedding is simple and small you wont need many photos, but I would totally advise you re-think that. Your wedding is your wedding and you’re only going to do this once! Hire a photographer for between 2-4 hours tops and still make epic photography apart of your day. Some of the best images you will look back on are the ones of you getting ready together, waiting at the courthouse, the actual ceremony and of course ALLLLLL the Wedding Portraits you will take after because there’s no guests to be whisked away to. If there was ever a time to invest in your courthouse wedding, THIS would be that time.

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5. Write Your Own Vows

It’s true! During a courthouse wedding, the officiant does allow you to say your own vows, if you have written any. You can always opt for the standard ceremony that you are probably familiar with from watching tv, but if you really want to make it your own, feel free to come prepared to read your own words from your heart.

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6. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

Since there really isn’t too much to a courthouse wedding, this should be easy! It was raining on BOTH Alex and Novy and Stephanie and Allen’s wedding day, but do you think they cared? Heck no! They purchased clear umbrellas in anticipation and I had a blast with both couples running around Atlanta and New York optimizing the hell out of those amazon prime purchases. When you’re focused on the reason why you’re doing something, all of the other little things just really don’t matter. And when you have less invested in your wedding day, the flexibility you will experience is un-matched. Bring it on mother nature!

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7. Plan a Rad Reception

The best part about a courthouse wedding is the after party! Alex and Novy met up with 75 of their closest friends and family at a two-floor restaurant in Brooklyn. My wife and I had burgers and beers with our family at Grindhouse. When Stephanie and Allen saw that, they wanted in! So we did Take 2 for them on their wedding day. Your reception is what you say it is! So if its a fancy restaurant, some ice cream, your photographers as your only guests or your whole family, however you want to celebrate is exactly how you should. Your freakin way!

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8. Go on a Long Honeymoon

And of course with all that money you saved on not flushing it into one 8-hour day, you can put towards cool experiences! My wife and I spent our honeymoon in Thailand for 3 weeks a few months after we had our courthouse wedding. Courtney and Chris went back to Iceland, where they got engaged a year prior. Use that money and go on an adventure, see the world, put a down payment on a house, buy a new wardrobe. On average, a full wedding with just the appropriate amount of bells and whistles is no less than $25,000. Yea…don’t feel bad about not having one. Courthouse it up and then laugh all the way to the bank!