Posts tagged Allegheny County Courthouse
Pittsburgh Elopement at the Allegheny County Courthouse

The Allegheny County Courthouse is a great place to elope in Pittsburgh with beautiful spots to commemorate the occasion. My husband Brandon is a licensed officiant, and we often offer ceremony and photo packages for courthouse elopements.

The first step in eloping is applying for your marriage license. If you’re wanting to elope in Allegheny County, such as at the courthouse featured here, you’ll want to check out the specifics for obtaining a marriage license at the button below. You will want to plan a bit ahead as there is a several day waiting process between the time you apply for a license and the time it is issued.

The most challenging thing about eloping at the Allegheny County Courthouse is parking. Since it is in the heart of downtown, street parking can be challenging but there are a number or nearby parking garages that you can park in, though expect to pay upwards of $20 for parking in them.

There are no special permits required to photograph in the courthouse, so it is easy to get some beautiful photos on the grand staircase that show off the amazing architecture in the courthouse. Every time I’ve been there it’s been pretty deserted as well, so you won’t have to worry about crowds of people bombing your photos.

If you’re looking for a fast and budget friendly way to elope while still having the opportunity for some pretty wedding photos, this might be the right fit for you!

Elope in Pittsburgh at the Allegheny County Courthouse
Wedding couple on the Grand Staircase at the Allegheny County Courthouse

Pittsburgh’s iconic yellow bridges are a background that is timeless year round, a beautiful setting for wedding portraits that look great even if nothing is in bloom. If you pair that with a sweet, small wedding ceremony in the stunning architecture of Pittsburgh’s Allegheny County Courthouse, you have a timeless and unapologetically Pittsburgh wedding day! I was blessed enough to assist and shoot for a wonderful new friend and mentor Jenna Sasala of Jenna Hidinger Photography, and in this post you’ll find some of the awesome images from our day together!

Allegheny County Courthouse

The Allegheny County Courthouse is a National Landmark, and surprisingly the perfect place for weddings too! The grand staircase shows off the building’s beautiful arches and Romanesque architecture. The staircase is plenty wide to accommodate large bridal parties, and the windows at the top of the stairs allow plenty of beautiful natural light in for perfect portraits! There are lots of spots for post-ceremony portraits as well including wide window sills for sitting, incredible layers of passageways and stone railings to give the appearance of being back in time in a castle far, far away (or Hogwarts, as I liked to imagine!) You can check out this site to learn all the details about booking the courthouse for your ceremony!

Mellon Green Park

Located in the heart of Downtown Pittsburgh as just a few minutes walk form the courthouse is Mellon Green Park, a beautiful patch of green tucked amongst Pittsburgh’s most popular buildings downtown like the Omni William Penn Hotel and the US Steel Tower. Weddings inn Pittsburgh don’t just have to be all architecture and urban vibes - this sweet little park has plenty of flowers, trees, benches, and a beautiful water feature.

Andy Warhol Bridge

Right beside it’s more popular brother, the Roberto Clemente bridge, the Andy Warhol bridge is the perfect place to get your “yellow bridge” wedding pictures while not getting trampled by PNC Park foot traffic. It’s unique placement, too, allows for some great cityscapes in the background - especially if you are getting married at the Renaissance Hotel (it’s right in the background!) Just a close walk from several parking garages, this is the ideal spot if you want maximum Pittsburgh in your photos with minimum effort.