Sarah & Sam’s casual courthouse elopement at the Orange County Courthouse in Orlando, FL
Intimate courthouse micro wedding at the Orange County Courthouse in Orlando, FL | Orlando Wedding Photographer & Videographer
Author Made creative lead and co-owner Michael and team videographer Austin captured this casual elopement at the Orange County Courthouse in downtown Orlando, FL.
We’ve seen a lot of pre-wedding jitters and nervous giggles before walking down the aisle, but the sweetest lovebirds Sarah & Sam had to take the cake.
These two are about as laid-back as they come, but apparently getting married was enough to make both of them extremely nervous. They met at work, and from what we could tell, their relationship has always had a pretty easygoing rhythm: Sam is the joker, Sarah is usually along for the ride, and neither of them takes life too seriously. Up until the drove together to their courthouse elopement, where apparently neither said a word to the other on the ride there because they were both so nervous!
Once they got out of the car, Sarah immediately started anxious giggling. Sam seemed equally unsure what to do with himself. So, naturally, we got them through courthouse security with some calming and reassuring words, and started the process of getting them officially married.
Getting married at the Orange County Courthouse in Orlando, FL
The Orange County Courthouse is a great option for couples who want a genuinely simple Orlando wedding without taking on the logistics and costs of a traditional venue. Sarah & Sam’s elopement, and dinner with around 20 of their closest friends and family afterwards, was just as meaningful and stylish as any large wedding.
One thing we always tell our courthouse couples is to arrive early, at least 30 minutes before your appointment. Not because you necessarily need that much time, but because you never know what is going to happen. In Sarah & Sam’s case, the security line took much longer than expected because the x-ray machine went down. Then, after getting through security, they realized one of them had forgotten a driver’s license in the car. Sam literally had to run back outside, grab it, and come back. Because we all had arrived so early, they still made their appointment on time and got married just as planned!
(Nervous) laughing down the aisle
The ceremony was every bit as nerve-inducing and sweet as the moments leading up to it. Sarah & Sam were still giggling throughout the process, which honestly felt very spot-on for a couple who doesn’t take themselves too seriously. Once they were officially married, we took advantage of the courthouse’s interior for some portraits on the third and fourth floors before heading outside.
Author Made co-owner and creative lead Michael photographed the day, capturing those authentic moments that made this feel less like a courthouse appointment and more like a personality-filled wedding day. Team videographer Austin was also there on video to document the celebration as it unfolded.
Outside the courthouse, Sarah & Sam took a few minutes to exchange private vows together in the courtyard. After the nerves of the morning had settled down, it was a quieter and more personal moment that served as a nice contrast to all the laughing and nervous energy earlier in the day.
From there, we wandered around the courthouse and the nearby downtown Orlando streets for portraits. With a small wedding like this, you don’t need to spend hours traveling between locations. The courthouse steps, surrounding architecture, and downtown streets give you plenty to work with, especially when you can keep everything within a few minutes of where you actually got married.
After portraits, we all met up with Sarah & Sam’s closest friends and family at Shula’s 347 Grille at The Westin Lake Mary for a dinner reception. It was a fitting ending to a wedding day that never needed to be overly complicated: get married, take some great pictures, eat a good dinner, and celebrate with the people you actually wanted there.
For Sarah & Sam, the whole day felt very much like them: simple, relaxed, and full of people who were happy to see them finally make it official.
Congratulations, Sarah & Sam! We’re so glad we got to be there for the nervous giggles, the courthouse chaos, and everything in between.
Author Made Team Photographer: Michael Kuo
Author Made Team Videographer: Austin Taft
Venue: Orange County Courthouse in Orlando, FL
Reception Venue:Shula’s 347 Grille
Special note: We do not share images that feature children in our public portfolio to protect their privacy. Reception images have been reduced in the selected public gallery seen here.
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