Modern Micro Wedding with Black & White Details at Allegheny County Courthouse

Elopement

Hannah + Michael’s winter courthouse elopement was a welcome warm moment in the middle of this year’s major snowstorm. Their goal was to gather a few favorite people in an intimate celebration of their relationship up to this point – and fun fact, the day of their elopement (January 30th) was the 2-year anniversary of their first date! Every detail was super intentional, and I loved getting to know these two wonderful humans.

I knew flatlay detail photos were important to Hannah + Michael, so I recruited my good friend Maya (who is a flatlay EXPERT) to be my second shooter/detail pro for the day. They killed it, as always, but H + M’s invitation suite was the star of the show! It was equal parts classy and quirky with black and white checker print and a super cute handwritten font. It was the perfect representation of them!

Hannah’s mom and sister helped put on some finishing touches, including her pearly veil and matching pearl necklace. Her dress was beautifully modern and minimalistic – an amazing find from my friends at Bridal Maven. She even DIY’ed all the faux florals! Michael donned a navy suit + tie with sweet poppy cufflinks and a checkered suspender surprise. In his words, “We’re bringing back ska!”

Before the ceremony, Hannah + Michael decided to have a first touch and exchange gifts. A first touch is a great way to have a quiet moment alone together even if you don’t want to see each other before you walk down the aisle! Hannah got Michael custom engraved collar stays, and Michael got Hannah a literal FIRST EDITION COPY of Little Women! Hannah collects Little Women books, so this was one of the most thoughtful wedding gifts I’ve ever seen!

At last, it was time for the ceremony to begin! The grand staircase of the courthouse was decorated with bud vases and candles, which created such a warm and cozy ambience. Their friend provided the music, playing “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” by Death Cab for Cutie on piano as Hannah and Michael walked down the aisle.

After exchanging personally written vows and rings, it was official! We snapped a few family portraits and finally had the courthouse to ourselves for some alone time. Hannah + Michael wanted as many portraits as possible, so we took our time exploring the courthouse architecture, playing piano, and laughing it up. One of my personal favorite spots is in front of the giant wooden doors on the third floor. It’s super dramatic and really encapsulates the courthouse vibe of it all!

We then left the courthouse to take a few photos in the lobby of Hotel Monaco, where H + M were staying! While we weren’t able to take any portraits outside (it was literally 10 degrees), I’m so glad Hotel Monaco allowed us to use their unique space! It really suited Hannah + Michael’s modern-yet-funky aesthetic.

Finally, we headed to the North Side to their intimate reception/after party at Alberta’s Pizzeria. This place is SO COOL!!! It’s a frequent date night spot for H + M, and they’ve become friends with the servers and bartenders, so they knew they had to incorporate it into their celebration! I loved all the little details and personal touches – Uno cards (they love Uno), checkered matchbooks, Polaroid guestbook, and a classic B&W heart-shaped cake.

I loved being able to spend this time with Hannah + Michael, and endlessly appreciate their attention to detail and dedication to one another. It was definitely the best start to my 2026 I could have possibly had!