If you Google Chicago City Hall Weddings, you’ll find a link to Chicago’s Best Wedding Venue Hack, an article I wrote about having your city hall ceremony at the historic Chicago Cultural Center. In fact, lots of couples get married at City Hall, take some photos around the city, and gather with family and friends for dinner at one of the many incredible restaurants Chicago has to offer.

By contrast, 37 percent of couples in Central Illinois got married in the fall, which isn’t a huge difference from Chicago. Fall is the most popular time for getting married in Chicago, with 42 percent of Chicago weddings taking place during that season. But while getting married in Chicago can be quite a lavish affair, with the average 2015 Chicago wedding (including the engagement ring) carrying a budget of $61,265, Illinois weddings aren’t all so pricey.

Our 2015 Real Wedding Study showed that to-be-weds in Illinois tend to have a measured approach to moving on from their engagement to the wedding, with the majority of couples in Chicago and the suburbs enjoying engagement lengths of a year or more. A total of ten (10) marriage and civil union ceremonies are performed by judges at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 East Washington Street in Chicago on only one Saturday per month and are by appointment only. A total of ten (10) marriage and civil union ceremonies are performed at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 East Washington Street in Chicago on only one Saturday per month and are by appointment only.

After the ceremony on Thursday, the couple posed for photos in downtown Chicago and he shared them on his Instagram account. Contreras, 25, and his new bride, Andrea Villamizar, got married at City Hall in downtown Chicago on Thursday, while the rest of his teammates were in St. Louis prepping for a three-game series against the Cardinals. That’s what Cubs catcher Willson Contreras did on Thursday. Contreras, 25, and his new bride, Andrea Villamizar, got married at City Hall in downtown Chicago on Thursday, while the rest of his teammates were in St. Louis.

Couples looking to wed in one of Chicago’s famous parks should consider the Columbus Park Refectory on the city’s West Side. Facts About Chicago shows that there were between 42,000 and 49,000 weddings in Cook County each year between 1980 and 1988. According to the Chicago Tribune, couples who just could not wait would hop in their Model T and drive the 50 miles to Crown Point, the county seat of Lake County, Indiana.

Reverend Giovanni Weddings is #1 in Illinois and #4 in the nation for reviews on WeddingWire and was the only officiant in the Chicago area to receive the Hall of Fame Award in 2016. Though based in the Chicago area, Reverend Pamela is licensed to perform weddings in Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan as well. Chicago Wedding Rites has been featured in Wedding Wire’s Couples’ Choice Awards for four years straight and was also The Knot’s top pick for four years straight.

Reverend Pam of Chicago Pagan Weddings has been officiating wedding ceremonies for over three decades. In July, Rauner received praise from the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois and Equality Illinois after he officiated a same-sex wedding in Chicago. Pre-marriage Mentoring and Willow Wedding Officiants are available to those who call Willow Chicago their home church and have been part of the community for at least 6 months.

Wedding season is upon us, and Chicago brides and grooms have already begun to make their plans to make their big day special for themselves and their guests. We’ve got everything from the nitty-gritty of how to get legally married in Chicago, to a few of our favorite Chicago weddings, to special tips for how to save money in Chicago. Among the most expensive places to get married were cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York City, as well as regions like South New Jersey, and Long Island and Westchester County in New York.

For more information on how to obtain your marriage license, be sure to visit www.usmarriagelaws.com

Tom Gardner