Historic Pima County Courthouse Elopement | Pauline & Curtis

Pauline & Curtis chose to ditch all the typical wedding traditions and opted for an intimate, elegant Pima County Courthouse elopement. It was such a beautiful day and I’m so happy to share their photos with you!

Pauline reached out to me with a clear vision of how she wanted her elopement photos to look. It’s always nice to work with a couple that knows what they want but it’s generally not the case with all my elopement clients! Sometimes people need a little guidance and help planning how their dream elopement will look and that’s totally ok. As an experienced elopement photographer, I’m more than happy to help!

Since Tucson is full of historical buildings and gorgeous architecture, Pauline wanted to take advantage of this and chose Pima County Courthouse. Pauline and Curtis flew into Tucson from Manilla, Philippines. They intentionally kept their elopement small and only 10 family members attended.

The simplicity of the ceremony itself added to the charm of the day. Pauline wore an elegant, custom dress made in the Philippines, while Curtis looked dapper in a tailored suit. Their love radiated from within, and I was so thankful to be there to expertly capture those heartfelt moments.

After their ceremony, we drove to the Arizona Inn where we Pauline and Curtis were staying. It was the perfect location for some elopement portraits. Even a little rainbow peaked out through the clouds to say “congratulations!” We ended the evening at the fine Italian Vivace Restaurant. Pauline and Curtis enjoyed a beautiful evening dining on delicious food, laughing with their family, and hearing heartfelt toasts about them and their love. The final event was a cake cutting out on the patio. The perfect end to a perfect elopement.

If you’re looking to elope, chances are you’ve thought about going down to the courthouse to get married. It’s definitely an option that’s growing in popularity and I believe it will only become more and more common. I’ve photographed a few courthouse elopements and they’re pretty straightforward.

To elope at the Pima County Courthouse in Tucson, Arizona, you’ll need to request a Justice of Peace to officiate your ceremony. Before you schedule a date, you’ll need to have a marriage license and two witnesses. You can obtain a marriage license through the Pima County Clerk by calling (520) 724-3210.

You can schedule a “no cost” elopement on Tuesdays and Fridays between 8am and 5pm. The Pima County Courthouse justices have a limited amount of availability so it helps to be a little flexible with your date. You must also schedule with at least 3 days notice. Call this number to schedule a date: (520) 724-3505.

For more information on how to plan an elopement at the Pima County Courthouse here’s a link to their website: https://www.jp.pima.gov/OnlineWeddingsRequest/

If you’re looking for a historic, old-world location in Tucson with some Spanish Colonial influence, the Pima County Courthouse is the perfect place to elope. The picturesque arched walkway, vibrant, spacious, green lawn, and of course the iconic entrance under the dome are some of my favorite places to take elopement photos.

Enjoy these photos of the couple taken by an adventure elopement photographer!