Polk County Courthouse Ceremony in Des Moines

Ever wondered what a documentary wedding at the Polk County Courthouse in Des Moines could look like? When Taylor and Jordan first contacted me about photographing their courthouse ceremony, I was thrilled! It’s not often I get asked to photograph smaller ceremonies, but I love the simplicity of it all. Every person invited to such an intimate ceremony is deeply personal to the couple, making for such a heartfelt time, even if it goes quickly.

Since the Polk County Courthouse does not currently allow any photography inside the building (with the exception of the courtroom during the ceremony), we needed an alternative location for a few couple portraits before the ceremony. We decided upon the Iowa State Capitol building — one of my favorite buildings in all of Iowa. The historic interior has so much charm. We spent a little time walking through the Capitol, taking photos as we went.

Once we arrived at the courthouse, we were greeted by Taylor and Jordan’s immediate families. These are some of the sweetest people I’ve gotten to interact with. I only wish our time together could’ve been longer. They clearly hold such deep love and happiness for the couple. It was such an honor to document this special day for them all.