Courthouse Ceremony | Austin Wedding Photographer

Some weddings just get it. And this courthouse ceremony got it.

These kinds of days skip the pressure and Pinterest boards and go straight to the heart of what matters most: marrying your person, celebrating with your people, and maybe making sure the cats get a cameo too. ;)

Melanie and Jake did exactly that.

They tied the knot in a quiet courthouse ceremony in downtown Austin, surrounded by their closest family. No fluff. No stress. Just two people who knew what they wanted out of their wedding day: something that felt like them. Yes please! Sign me up any day! As an Austin wedding photographer - nothing is more attractive to me than people sharing their true personalities and desires out loud. And this is especially true for wedding days!

After the courthouse ceremony where these two officially became husband and wife (!!!!) - we made sure to wander around the gorgeous government building and get those quintessential "we just ran away to the courthouse!" photos!!

One unique thing we did this day was make a quick stop at their house before heading to the reception. And honestly? That in-home moment was one of my favorite parts of the day. Melanie and Jake curled up on their couch, glass of wine in hand, snuggled up with their cats like it was the most natural thing in the world. And it was. No pretense. Just real life and real love in a home they’ve built together. Wow wow wow! It was such a peaceful moment of the day!!!

I’m now fully obsessed with in-home wedding photos, by the way. 10/10 recommend.

The evening wrapped up with an intimate reception at Launderette (yes, the food was as incredible as you’d expect, being one of the top restaurants in the city).

Friends and family trickled in, wine was poured, toasts were made. Then, right before dinner started, Melanie and Jake read their vows to each other again. Even though they’d already officially tied the knot earlier that day for their courthouse ceremony, they wanted to share that moment in front of the people who meant the most to them. It was tender, intentional, and completely true to who they are.

That’s what I loved most about this day—it didn’t try to follow a script.

Melanie and Jake knew what mattered to them and built their day around it. And it showed from the very beginning of the day, through the in-home moment and into their evening reception.

To Melanie and Jake: thank you for trusting me to capture this chapter in your life. Your wedding was simple in the best way. Deeply rooted in the things that matter. And also… thank you for letting me hang with your cats.

I’d do this one again a thousand times over.

Cheers to home, to love, and to every laid-back, joy-soaked, cat-cameo-filled wedding to come. Oh how I love being an Austin Wedding Photographer!

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