Shotgun wedding suggestions and pics welcome

Are you planning on having a bigger wedding or reception later on? You could get a smaller, more courthouse-appropriate dress and save your dress for the celebration.

You can still wear your dress if you want! Tons of people wear their big, fancy weddings dresses to the courthouse and even hire a photographer. As far as what accessories guests hold, I'm not sure. Guests typically don't hold anything. Is there something specific you had in mind?

View Quoted Comment We are planning on having a bigger wedding next year but we also wanted a more intimate ceremony to begin with. My dress is an A-line with less poof. But you think I should save my dress?

View Quoted Comment I had a thought of some holding little lanterns with butterflies on them. We aren't planning on having a reception, officially, after the courthouse. So we were thinking like their favor baskets, maybe?

View Quoted Comment If you're asking them to take time out of their day to attend your ceremony, you should at least treat them to lunch or dinner afterwards, depending on the time of day. Even some cake and punch if its not a meal time.

View Quoted Comment That sounds fair. Maybe a potluck

I would definitely wear your dress! If it’s going to be small, only a limited number will see your dress. You spend so much on it, I would want to enjoy it as much as possible.

View Quoted Comment Yeah, maybe 20 people will be there so this is perfect

View Quoted Comment

Don't do a potluck; you should be hosting some kind of food or drink appropriate to the time of day. If your ceremony and the time immediately after is between meal times then you can just do finger foods and drinks, or you can take people out to lunch or dinner, but don't thank them by having them provide their own thank you (food for the potluck).

Have fun with it! You can wear your dress to both events if you want, you just may want to get it cleaned in between. But most people don't get to wear their dress more than once, so maybe think of it as an opportunity!