Chicago Cultural Center Civil Ceremony - how’s that for an alliteration?
But in all seriousness - did you know that you can get married at the Chicago Cultural Center for only $10?! (Minus the $60 for your marriage license.) If City Hall isn’t quite your style but you’re still looking to go the route of a Civil Ceremony instead of a large wedding, the Cultural Center hosts a Marriage Court one Saturday a month where you can have an intimate wedding with all the elegance that this historic space has to offer.
Kino & Butch got married at the Cultural Center one rainy Saturday with their immediate families who traveled to Chicago to witness their union.
We took some quick family photos before it was time to wait our turn for Kino & Butch’s ceremony. The Cultural Center offers so many unique spaces to photograph in.
If you’ve never been to the top floor of the Cultural Center it is not to be missed (and you can check it out for free most days of the week).
Civil Ceremonies are short and sweet and this space could seriously not get more elegant. Once it’s your turn your guests are brought into this grand room, then you and your soon to be spouse get to enter and have your marriage preformed by a judge in front of up to 20 of you closest friends and family.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - just because you’re having a smaller civil ceremony or elopement doesn’t mean that you can’t get some beautiful photos of you all dressed up on your wedding day. In Kino and Butch’s case, they’re also proof that you can still get great photos even if it’s raining on your wedding day!
Fun fact - since I went to school and worked in the South Loop for a good chunk of the time I’ve lived in Chicago, I know some great photo location hacks. Like sneaking into The Art Institute for a glass of rose while we wait out the rain.
The Lurie Garden near by the museum is one of my favorite spots in the South Loop, not to mention that all those greens really pop in the rain!
And that’s it! How sweet is this quick family only ceremony with romantic rainy portraits downtown?! Kino and Butch continued their celebration with a nice dinner with family and a small party with friends afterwords. Just more proof that smaller weddings can still be filled with so much love, joy and character. Oh and you still can get some gorgeous and unique photos to cherish for the years to come.
