Planning/Already married? Celebrate anyway
Married first, celebrating nowAlready married, still a wedding
You said yes at the courthouse, on a cliff or overseas. Now your friends want the party. Here is how couples we spoke with this year turned the paperwork into a celebration.
- Most common reasonThe paperwork came first
- Favorite formatThe reveal party
- Officiant needed?Not for a symbolic ceremony
- CoverageOften shorter than a full day
More couples than ever call us after the legal part is done. The celebration still deserves to be photographed like a wedding.
Some married at the courthouse because of a move, a new job or an insurance deadline. Some eloped on purpose and then missed their friends. Others married abroad, or in a traditional ceremony back home, and want a day for everyone here.
Whatever the reason, the second day can be every bit as emotional as the first. These are the formats we saw this year, and how we photograph them.
Married first, party later
- The paperwork came first. A license before a move, a job or an insurance deadline.
- They eloped on purpose, just the two of them, then missed their friends.
- They married abroad, or in a traditional ceremony with family overseas, and want a day for everyone here.
- Friends felt left out. One bride staged a whole second ceremony after friends told her they were hurt not to be invited.
If you haven’t married yet and want to do it simply first, see our courthouse wedding photography.
Five ways to celebrate
The premiere
A couple who work in film held a private ceremony, then screened the ceremony film in a historic theater as their “ceremony,” followed by a spotlight entrance. Any venue with a screen can do a version of this.
The symbolic ceremony
A friend officiates, you read vows in front of everyone, and nothing needs filing. Some couples save private vows for a first look earlier in the day. See private vows.
A tea ceremony after the elopement
Couples who eloped honored their parents later with a Chinese or Vietnamese tea ceremony and a banquet. See our tea ceremony guide.
The reveal
A dinner or a family party where, halfway through, you tell everyone you are married. The photographs are all about the faces.
The courthouse now, the wedding later
Photograph both. The ceremony room is often plain, so we walk to a nearby landmark for portraits afterwards.
Faces, not formalities
- Watch the guests. At a reveal, we put a second photographer on the room, not on you. The gasp is the photograph.
- Wear it again. Many couples bring back what they wore to the courthouse, or finally buy the gown they skipped.
- Family portraits matter most. If parents missed the legal ceremony, this is their wedding album. Send us the family list.
- Bring the paperwork. A signed certificate on the table, or the courthouse photos on a screen, connects the two days.
- Book the hours you need. Without getting ready and a ceremony, a celebration often needs less coverage than a full wedding day.
At a courthouse the ceremony takes ten minutes and the room is plain. That is fine. The photographs that matter are of your faces when the words are said, and those look the same in any room.
Lulan Studio · wedding photographers & filmmakers
Celebrating later, answered
Is a celebration after a courthouse wedding still a wedding?
For your guests and your vendors, yes. Call it a wedding celebration; venues and caterers plan it the same way.
Do we need an officiant if we are already legally married?
Not for a symbolic ceremony. A friend or family member can lead it, and nothing needs to be filed.
Can you photograph the courthouse and the party?
Yes. Many couples book elopement or courthouse coverage first and the celebration later.
What about renewing our vows years later?
That is a lovely occasion of its own. See vow renewal photography.
More from our couples
Married already and ready to celebrate?
Tell us how you married and how you want to celebrate. We will help you plan the party, the reveal or the ceremony you skipped.