Sandhya Garg · The Wedding Calendar
The Courthouse Wedding
For the Bride · For Guests · City Hall · Elopements · Vow Renewals
Quick Answer
Bride: wear a midi or streamlined maxi without a train, in any colour you love. White is optional. Choose something you can get into on your own. Guests: business casual, dressed up, since a courthouse is a public office. A dressy midi or a jacket over a dress is ideal. Don't wear white, and leave the jeans at home.
Courthouse weddings, city hall ceremonies and small elopements are some of the most personal weddings there are. There's no aisle, no seating chart and no one to impress, so the outfit can be exactly what the couple wants.
This guide covers the bride first and then the guests, with practical advice from The Knot and twelve pieces that work in a small room and at the dinner after.
In This Guide
For the Bride
A courthouse wedding is the moment to wear the dress you'd actually choose, not the one tradition chooses for you. The Knot puts it simply: "Don't feel limited to traditional white dresses." Its practical advice is to skip trains, ball gowns and cathedral veils, because courthouse spaces are tight.
Length
Midi or Streamlined Maxi
No train. You'll walk corridors, stand in a small room and climb steps for photos.
Instead of white
Colour or Print
Blush, royal blue or a print you love. Stone and marble make colour glow in photos.
Getting ready
Easy to Get Into
If you're dressing alone, skip complicated corsets and long rows of back buttons. A wrap or a side zip is easiest.
A courthouse wedding is the moment to wear the dress you'd actually choose.
For Guests and Witnesses
The Knot's advice for guests is to "err on the side of business casual," because a courthouse is a public office. Think a dressy midi, a blouse with a skirt, or a jacket over a dress. Leave white for the bride, as at any wedding.
| Plan | Bride | Guests |
|---|---|---|
| Ceremony only | Midi or streamlined maxi, mini veil or flowers | Business casual, a dressy midi |
| Ceremony + lunch | A dress that works for both, a jacket to remove | A midi with a jacket for the ceremony |
| Ceremony + evening party | Change for dinner if you want two looks | Cocktail for the evening part |
| Vow renewal | A colour or print that feels like you | Follow the couple's dress code |
For the bigger celebration later, see What to Wear to a Wedding as a Guest and every wedding dress code, explained. If white is still calling, our white dresses are here.
The Courthouse Wedding Edit · Let Them Eat Cake Collection
Twelve Pieces for a Small, Personal Wedding
Colour for the bride, polish for the guests, and something for the dinner after.
For the Bride: Colour Instead of White
For Guests and Witnesses: Business Casual, Dressed Up
The Celebration Dinner After
Dresses run XS to 3XL and jackets XS to XL. Stock is limited, so check the size selector on each product page · Size chart · Made to measure
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the bride have to wear white to a courthouse wedding?
No. The Knot encourages brides not to feel limited to white. Blush, a bold colour or a print can feel more personal and photographs beautifully against stone and marble.
What length dress is best for a courthouse wedding?
Midi or a streamlined maxi. Corridors, stairs and small rooms make trains and ball gowns impractical, and The Knot suggests a mini or shoulder-length veil over a cathedral one.
What should guests wear to a courthouse wedding?
Business casual, since a courthouse is a public office. The Knot suggests a dressy sundress, a blouse with trousers or a skirt, or a sport coat and slacks. Leave the jeans and T-shirts at home, and don't wear white.
What should I wear to a vow renewal or second wedding?
Anything that feels celebratory and like you. A coloured maxi, a printed midi or an embroidered dress is often more meaningful than a replica of a first-wedding gown.
Keep Reading
Weddings
The Wedding Guest Guide
Every dress code, venue by venue.
Engagement
The Engagement Party
For the bride-to-be and every guest.
Family
Mother of the Bride and Groom
What to wear on the day.
Colour
What to Wear Instead of White
This year's colours.
About the Writer
Sandhya Garg is a Project Runway Season 13 designer who won two challenges on the show and presented her collection at Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week. She studied womenswear at London College of Fashion and has worked at Alexander McQueen, Gucci, Liberty London and Alice Temperley. Her label has been featured in Marie Claire US, Elle, Cosmopolitan and Vogue online. Every print is drawn by Sandhya in Los Angeles and printed and made in India. Read her story.
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