The best courthouse bridal looks from the Vogue weddings archive

One of the most romantic ways to get married? The courthouse wedding. Whether it's a prelude to your big day or just a low-key way to tie the knot, city hall weddings never disappoint. And fashion-wise, it gives a bride the option to go for something a little less formal. It’s a moment to wear a classic white suit, a minidress that you absolutely will wear again, or – if you’re like one of the brides below – pair a gossamer tulle maxi skirt with a plain white T-shirt.

For actor Julia Garner, who got married at New York’s City Hall in 2020, it was clear to her she would be wearing pants at her courthouse wedding. “I love pant suits, and I always thought that if I were to get married in a courthouse, I wanted to wear one,” Garner says. In the end, she wore a pleated tunic and pant set by Danielle Frankel.

Bride Sofia Nebiolo also wore a two-piece set, but a quilted coat and dress look by The Row. The results? Impossibly chic. (What else would you expect from The Row?)

Below, a look back at some of our favourite courthouse bridal looks worn by Vogue brides.

For her civil wedding in Paris, Alexandra Lalonde Bouygues wore a white double-breasted Ralph Lauren suit gifted to her by her mother-in-law. See the full wedding here. The bride was inspired by Bianca Jagger’s tailored wedding suit look. “My ‘something blue’ [was] an embroidered C above my heart inside my Ralph Lauren jacket,” says Lalonde Bouygues.

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For her COVID-era courthouse wedding in New York City, actor Julia Garner wore a pleated Danielle Frankel tunic and pant set with lettuce hems. See the full wedding here. “I love pant suits, and I always thought that if I were to get married in a courthouse, I wanted to wear one,” Garner says. “I wanted a Carrie Bradshaw moment. But of course for the party, I wanted something more soft and feminine.” This meant two looks by Vogue/CFDA Fashion Fund runner-up Danielle Frankel.

For her civil ceremony in Paris, Julia Toledano, the founder and designer of shoe brand Nodaleto, wore a super light, modern version of a bar jacket by Dior with straight-cut large pants. See the full wedding here. “I chose to wear a pair of Nodaleto shoes, of course—the Bulla Smith in gold radiant. I love the super ’90s style of a closed mule. It was the perfect pair to match with my Dior look because they communicate the same story, but through a different aesthetic,” says the bride.

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For her COVID-era city hall wedding in Paris, bride Sofia Nebiolo wore a coat and dress by the row. See the full wedding here. The writer Christopher Niquet helped Nebiolo track down a pleated crepe dress and quilted off-white coat from The Row’s spring 2020 collection. The exquisite quilted coat arrived from New York only a few days before the ceremony.

For her elopement in Zurich, Amy Merrick wore a yellow silk twill suit. See the full wedding here. She said she found “almost nothing” before they even knew that they were going to elope.

Related: 10 celebrity weddings through the ages to inspire brides-to-be

For her New York City Hall wedding, bride Gia Kuan wore a Bad Binch TongTong bow dress and hat, with Y/Project x Melissa court mules, and florals by Fleurotica. See the full wedding here. For the piece, Bad Binch TongTong created a “giant bow that you put on like a backpack.” The issue? “I was barely getting through the revolving doors,” says Gia.

For her New York civil wedding, bride Rachael Cusick hoped to say I do at City Hall and then walk the Brooklyn Bridge as her parents had done on their wedding day. See the full wedding here. She wore a T-shirt, Nike sneakers, and a layered tulle skirt.