Hillsborough County Courthouse Wedding | Joleen & Frank

Some weddings are big. Some weddings are exactly the right size.

Joleen and Frank's Tuesday morning wedding at the Hillsborough County Courthouse was the kind of day that reminds me exactly why I do this work. No ballroom. No 200-person guest list. Just the two of them, Frank's mom and cousin, and Joleen's two daughters — the people who mattered most — gathered in a little chapel inside a courthouse on an ordinary Tuesday morning to do something extraordinary.

And it was perfect.

The Case for a Weekday Wedding

Let's talk about Tuesday for a second. Because I know what you might be thinking — a Tuesday wedding? But hear me out.

Weekday weddings are one of the best-kept secrets in the wedding world right now, and more couples are catching on. When you get married on a Tuesday morning, the world isn't competing with you. The courthouse isn't packed. The downtown streets are walkable. The waterfront is quiet. You get undivided attention from every vendor and every person in the room — because the only thing happening that day is you.

Joleen and Frank didn't settle for a Tuesday wedding. They chose it. And it showed in every single moment of the day.

A Surprise First Look — At the License Window

Here's a detail I will never forget about this day: we did an impromptu first look right there in the courthouse hallway, just before Joleen and Frank walked up to the window to get their marriage license.

She came down the hall in her full ballgown — and I mean full, with a cathedral veil trailing behind her — and he turned around and just lit up. Right there under the fluorescent lights, surrounded by framed documents on the walls and a number 10 sign hanging overhead. It was completely unplanned, totally unscripted, and one of the most genuine first look reactions I've ever photographed.

That's the thing about intimate weddings — there's no hiding. The emotions are right there on the surface, and they're real.

The Hillsborough County Courthouse Wedding Chapel

Did you know the Hillsborough County Courthouse has a dedicated wedding chapel? Because it does, and it is genuinely sweet. Joleen had reserved it in advance, and walking into that little room — white draping, a gold floral arch, chiavari chairs, lanterns — felt much more intentional and special than you might expect from a courthouse setting.

The ceremony was intimate in the truest sense of the word. Frank's mom recorded every moment on her phone from the front row. The daughters stood nearby. The room held maybe six people and it was exactly full enough.

She Carried Her Mom With Her

I have to tell you about the bouquet.

Joleen carried a classic white rose bouquet — simple, elegant, beautiful. But tucked into the ribbon wrap was a small ornate brooch with a photograph inside. Her mom.

She wasn't able to be there in person. But she was there. Right there in Joleen's hands through every vow, every kiss, every portrait by the waterfront. I noticed it during portraits and quietly made sure to capture it — the two of them holding hands with that brooch visible between their fingers. It's one of my favorite images from this entire day.

If you're planning a wedding and you've lost someone important, please consider carrying them with you somehow. A brooch, a photo tucked into your bouquet, a charm on your dress. I will always, always find a way to photograph it.

Downtown Tampa After the Ceremony

After the ceremony we took to the streets — literally. One of my favorite things about a courthouse wedding in downtown Tampa is that you walk out the door and the whole city is your backdrop.

We shot in front of the beautiful marble facade of the Pat Frank Courthouse with its tall columns — that building photographs so well — and then wandered over to the Tampa Riverwalk for waterfront portraits with the skyline behind them. The iconic TAMPA sign, the harbor views, the greenery along the waterfront — all of it just steps away. No shuttle, no travel time, no coordination. Just a couple in love walking through their city on their wedding day.

Joleen's ballgown trailing along the waterfront dock with downtown Tampa in the background is an image I keep coming back to. She looked like she belonged on a magazine cover — and she was just getting married on a Tuesday.

Is a Courthouse Wedding Right for You?

If you're dreaming of something intimate, intentional, and completely yours — a courthouse wedding or micro wedding in Tampa might be exactly what you're looking for. It's not a compromise. It's a choice. And when it's done with as much love and care as Joleen and Frank brought to this day, it's one of the most beautiful choices you can make.

A few things worth knowing if you're considering a Hillsborough County courthouse wedding:

The courthouse wedding chapel can be reserved in advance and is a genuinely lovely little space. The building itself — especially the exterior marble and columns — provides beautiful portrait opportunities. Downtown Tampa's waterfront and the Riverwalk are just a short walk away for portraits after. And yes, you can absolutely show up in a full ballgown on a Tuesday morning and have the day of your life.

Are you planning an intimate wedding, elopement, or courthouse ceremony in Tampa?

I would absolutely love to be there. Small weddings are some of my most cherished sessions — the emotions are close, the moments are unhurried, and the images tell a story that is completely and only yours.

👉 Let's talk about how to make your intimate Tampa wedding everything you've dreamed of — whatever size, whatever day of the week. Grab a spot for a quick 15 minute discovery call HERE to find out more!

Carrie Wildes Photography photographs weddings of all sizes throughout Tampa Bay — from intimate courthouse ceremonies and micro weddings to full celebrations across Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and beyond. If you're looking for a Tampa courthouse wedding photographer or an intimate wedding photographer in the Tampa Bay area, I'd love to connect. 📸