Philadelphia City Hall Wedding: Kia + Cai

On June 28, 2019 I had the honor of photographing Kia and Cai’s Philadelphia City Hall wedding. I’ve had the pleasure of photographing several events for Kia’s family over the years. So imagine my surprise when just a few weeks after shooting family portraits for her and her young adult children, I received a text from her saying we needed to plan another session for her engagement!

I was so happy for her and couldn’t wait to iron out the details, but it would be a couple of weeks before she got back to me. Rather than planning an engagement session, we would be preparing for their elopement at Philadelphia City Hall in just two short weeks! What a whirlwind!

A Special City Hall Wedding

There were a few special details to Kia and Cai’s Philadelphia City Hall wedding. First, her non-traditional bridal look. During our quick preparation for her ceremony, she told me that she wouldn’t be wearing bridal white, but my jaw literally dropped when she walked into the courtroom in a shimmery rose gold gown. She was absolutely stunning!

Kia arrived to the courtroom before Cai, and was greeted by many of her closest friends and family members. Brides and grooms are typically only allowed eight witnesses for the City Hall weddings, but this couple had the inside track – Kia works for the courts and was married by her favorite judge so the rules were relaxed for her big day!

The judge was running a bit behind, since it isn’t every day that couples get married at City Hall on Fridays, so Kia and Cai had the opportunity to mingle and celebrate with their guests before they said their “I dos”.

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While we waited for the judge to finish up her previous appointment, we sneaked out to the hallway for a quick portrait, but our time was short. The judge was ready for us after just a minute of shooting.

The Ceremony

Their wedding ceremony was beautiful and quick. They exchanged simple vows to pledge their lives to one another. But there was one hiccup – someone had trouble figuring out on which hand to place the ring!

After over a decade of friendship and romance, the judge pronounced them husband and wife. Of course, they sealed their union with a kiss.

All of the guests surrounded the couple to offer their congratulations, but the fun wasn’t over until the bouquet was tossed.

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Introducing Mr. + Mrs. Lewis

No Philadelphia City Hall wedding is complete without portraits of the couple with its iconic architecture.

Our final stop was South Broad Street for one of the most recognizable and iconic Philly wedding photos of all time.

I am so grateful to have been a part of your big day! I wish you many more years of love, happiness and laughter together!