A Step by Step Guide to Getting Married at City Hall in Chicago
HOW TO PLAN YOUR CITY HALL ELOPEMENT IN CHICAGO ILLINOIS
If you and your partner are hoping to celebrate your wedding privately, we recommend planning a Chicago elopement that includes something a little extra special than just going to the courthouse. Don’t worry - if going to the courthouse sounds fun and exciting, we can incorporate that into your day! Here’s how:
1. Book an All Inclusive Elopement Package
Tiny Wedding Collective offers Chicago couples wishing to celebrate their marriage with an elopement or micro wedding all inclusive packages to make their wedding planning process streamlined and easy. And lucky for you, this doesn’t mean you have to give up on the parts of a wedding that make it feel monumental. You’ll still great incredible photographs, beautiful florals and a delicious wedding cake all while enjoying the process rather than getting bogged down by decision fatigue.
You’ll notice that our all-inclusive elopement and micro wedding packages include an officiant. If you decide you’d like to get married at the City Hall with a judge, we’re more than happy to remove our officiant from the package. (hello $$ savings!) Alternatively, if you look through our packages and our portfolio and you think “Hey, I actually do want a ceremony that’s personalized to me and my partner” then we can always take photos at city hall and ditch the judge ;) Anything is possible when planning a Chicago elopement or micro wedding!
2. Get Your Marriage License
Either way, the first step to getting married in Chicago is getting your marriage license.
When applying for a marriage license in Chicago, you’ll have two options: You can do everything from start to finish in person at one of the County Clerk’s offices or you can begin the license process online and then go to the office for the final step. Either way, you’ll have to go down in person together at some point.
Some helpful tips to keep in mind:
Marriage licenses in Chicago are only valid for 60 days so don’t get the license to soon before your wedding day.
There is a one day waiting period in order for the license to become valid so we recommend getting the license at least a week ahead of your wedding, just to play it safe.
The ceremony must take place in Cook County (Chicago and it’s suburbs) for the license to be valid and the marriage to be legal.
Both partners must be present with valid ID that shows proof of age.
If either applicant has been divorced, they must provide the date the divorce was finalized and, if within the last six months, a certified copy of the divorce decree.
The cost of the license is $60.
You can pay with cash, check, or credit/debit card. Ensure the location you visit accepts your chosen payment method.
3. ONCE YOU HAVE YOUR MARRIAGE LICENSE
If you want to move forward with getting married by a judge at City Hall, you don’t need to make an appointment as long as you’re getting married on a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. They are open for weddings between 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. You do need to make an appointment if you are getting married on a Saturday. They are open on Saturdays for weddings between 9 AM and 12 PM. You’ll call (312) 603-5660 to schedule the Saturday ceremony. All ceremonies are held at 119 W. Randolph St. (Lower Level).
You will need to bring your marriage license, $10 in cash, a valid form of ID.
chicago city hall wedding tips
As of last month, you can have up to 10 guests attend your Chicago City Hall wedding ceremony but it will be tight quarters so keep this in mind when deciding on your guest list!
You must check in 30 minutes before each session. They do not open the doors before 9 AM so arriving early does not guarantee you get in earlier. Expect to wait around 45 minutes to an hour, sometimes more.
Please visit the Chicago Marriage website for updated logistics.
Plan Your Chicago Elopement or Micro Wedding Celebration!
Once the legal stuff is taken care of, you’ll want to celebrate afterwards! Whether it’s just the two of you or you’ve decided to celebrate with family and friends, we can help you plan something super personalized and custom to you and your relationship!
CHOOSE A LOCATION FOR PORTRAITS
The options for elopement or micro wedding portrait locations are endless in Chicago! It really just depends on your vision. Are you looking for something classically Chicago like Millennium Park or Union Station or maybe something less traditional like Lurie Garden or the Old Post Office. Check out some of our favorite Chicago micro wedding and elopement portrait locations here!
CHOOSE A LOCATION FOR A POST CEREMONY DINNER OR RECEPTION
If you’ve decided to celebrate your elopement or micro wedding with dinner or a more formal reception afterwards, we have lots of suggestions! If you’re looking for a small, intimate dinner that’s glowy and warm, we recommend Ada Street. If your families are coming in from out of town, we might recommend a private boat ride along the rive aboard The Chicago First Lady! And if something outdoors is more your vibe, we love a good garden dinner at Big Delicious Planet. Check out some of our other favorite Chicago elopement and micro wedding venues here.
Ideas to Make Your Chicago Elopement Feel Special
You don’t need your elopement to look or feel “over-the-top” in order for it to feel special. Decide on what matters most to you - food, flowers, decor, wedding dress or tux etc - and spend the majority of your budget there. Decide where to “splurge” and then keep everything else easy and simple. Here are some ways we’ve seen couples in the past make their elopement feel just as special and monumental as a larger, more traditional wedding:
GET READY TOGETHER
Most Chicago couples choose to elope or get married at City Hall so that they can spend more time with each other rather than spending their wedding greeting 100+ guests! Extend the time you get to spend together by getting ready for your ceremony together! Order room service and have breakfast in bed or take your dog for a walk around neighborhood before it’s time to get ready for the day. We’ve even seen couples meet up with friends for breakfast beforehand. It jump starts the day with positive, congratulatory vibes without the pressure of performing during the actual vows!
PLAN A FIRST LOOK
If you want to maintain an element of surprise, nix getting ready together and plan for a First Look before your ceremony! You can have one of our photographers arrive earlier to get your reactions of you seeing each other for the first time - something you’ll miss out on at city hall.
SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING BORROWED
Some couples choose to elope in order to save money. Because of this, they can feel like they’re missing out on family traditions that would typically be included in a larger wedding day. Incorporating something old - maybe you wear your mother’s wedding dress or carry a locket with a photo of a loved one wrapped around your wedding bouquet or boutonniere -can carry on those traditions in a meaningful way. You can also incorporate something borrowed. We had a bride wear her friend’s veil for her first look and vows- it was the perfect distinction between a ceremony and reception look without having to spend money on a completely different outfit!
VISIT YOUR FIRST DATE SPOT
Eloping means more time to spend your wedding day however you please! Bring your photographer with you to the spot you had your first date for some pre or post ceremony portraits! Was your first date at a bar? A pre-ceremony cocktail is a great way to relieve some of those wedding day jitters!
The Tiny Wedding Collective offers all-inclusive elopement and intimate wedding planning services for Chicago, Washington DC, Northern Virginia and Baltimore, Maryland. A Tiny Wedding is for couples who want to celebrate their commitment in a thoughtful, stylish way but don’t want the stress and fanfare of a big, expensive wedding. Not all couples fit inside the same traditional box and it’s time that we make space for inclusivity, diversity, and creativity. To find out more about what it’s like to work with us, please fill out our contact form here.