By Grace Everett | Photographer
When it comes to weddings, everybody wants something different. Some people want traditional, while others don’t. Some people want extravagance, while others want something much more laid back. In many cases, people either can’t afford a wedding or just don’t want one, and there’s no shame in that.
When I was little, I never thought about what kind of wedding I wanted. I didn’t have a dream dress or color scheme, and I certainly didn’t have a dream venue. Now, it seems that the older I get, the less I want a wedding. A courthouse ceremony just seems appealing. The thought of going to a courthouse with my partner and some of my closest friends and family sounds like a great time to me. There’s less hassle, it’s inexpensive and it’s casual.
I have gotten some weird looks when I’ve spoken about my ideal wedding, but that’s OK with me. Since courthouse weddings aren’t very common, I enjoy talking about them because it desensitizes people to the idea.
Oftentimes, people associate courthouse ceremonies with eloping. This is a misconception, because eloping is when a couple gets married suddenly and in secret. While many elopements do take place in courthouses, that’s not the only reason one would choose to get married there.
Unfortunately, some people who want wedding ceremonies cannot afford them, which is another reason why courthouse marriages shouldn’t be frowned upon. According to The Knot, as of 2021, the average wedding costs about $28,000, and not everyone can afford that. A courthouse ceremony is a good alternative. You never know why someone goes about getting married the way they do, so it’s really never your place to judge.
In saying all of this, I am in no way trying to say that weddings are pointless, because that is not true at all. In fact, I will most likely have a traditional wedding with the works because it’s what my family wants. I know my mom wants to see me in a fancy dress, and my dad wants to walk me down the aisle, and I don’t want to take that from them. However, if you are super passionate about having your dream wedding, don’t let anyone stop you from getting it, even if it is considered different or nontraditional. I think we need to take a step back and remember that weddings hold different levels of importance to different people, and we should all be respectful of that.
