Your Only Job Is To Marry Your Best Friend
Courthouse Wedding & Elopement Packages & Pricing in Illinois & Wisconsin
Real packages, real pricing, and flexible payment plans for intimate ceremonies and elopements across Northern Illinois, Chicago, Lake Geneva, Southern Wisconsin, and beyond — for guest lists of 10 or under. I'm also ordained, so if you need someone to sign the license and make it official, that's included too. I don't gatekeep any of it.
Based in Hebron, IL in McHenry County. Available Monday–Thursday.
Your wedding day is a big f⌁ckin deal
So What Does a Courthouse Wedding or Elopement Actually Look Like?
All you care about is marrying your best friend — cause same.
I've documented couples getting married at the McHenry County courthouse, on the Chicago skyline, on the Silver Lake Sand Dunes in Michigan, and at Electric Forest. A quiet room. A city street. A sand dune. The middle of the woods at a music festival. Wherever the place means something to you — that's where we go.
These packages aren't tied to a location. They're tied to two people who are ready to be married.
I'm also ordained — so if you need someone to sign the license and make it official, I've got that too. You handle the mailing. I handle everything else.
The only thing left to figure out is which package fits your day.
What's Included in Every Package?
⌁ Ceremony & portraits to follow
⌁ Planning support
⌁ Sneak peeks delivered within 7 days
⌁ Full gallery delivered within 4–16 weeks (average around 6 — life happens and I'll always be transparent with you)
⌁ Print release for all delivered images
⌁ Ordained officiant available — I'll sign the license, you mail it
⌁ Guest list of 10 or under
⌁ Only available Monday–Thursday
⌁ 90-mile travel radius from Hebron, IL included
Holy SH⌁T you're getting married
Most Booked!The Courthouse — Up to 2 Hours
All you care about is marrying your best friend — cause same. Time to document the moment.
$1,795
The Elopement — Up to 4 Hours
For the couples running away somewhere that means something — travel included, so the only thing you have to think about is getting there. Travel beyond 90 miles included.
$5,675Non-refundable retainer & Signed Contract Required to book Your Wedding.
Make your elopement photography experience your own
What Can You Add to Your Elopement Photography Package?
Additional coverage — $150 / hour
More time means nothing gets rushed and nothing gets missed.
So You're Ready to Make It Official —
Here's What Happens Next.
Drop the details in the form below — your date, your location, your guest count, and anything you need from me. I'll get back to you within 24–72 hours. (Fridays through Sundays I'm usually out documenting another couple's day.)
If it's a fit, a signed contract and non-refundable retainer lock your date. Then we get to work on making sure the two of you can just — get married.
I'm ready when you are. Drop the details in my contact form.
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My own wedding photographer offered payment plans — and it made a huge difference in how we budgeted. I offer two options because every couple's financial situation is different, and with everything else you're paying out to vendors, manageable matters.
Option One — Split Payment Plan
⅓ non-refundable retainer due at booking
⅓ due at the midpoint between booking and your wedding date
Final ⅓ due one week prior to your wedding
→ Sneak peeks delivered within 7 days of your wedding.
Option Two — Extended Monthly Payments
⅓ non-refundable retainer due at booking
Remaining balance divided into monthly payments based on how far out your wedding date is
Final payment due one week prior to your wedding
→ Sneak peeks delivered within 7 days of final payment.
Use thewedding photography investment estimator calculator below to see exactly what both options look like for your package.
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Anywhere that means something to you.
I've documented couples at the McHenry County courthouse, on the Chicago skyline, on the Silver Lake Sand Dunes in Michigan, and at Electric Forest. A courthouse. A living room. A conservation space. A music festival in the woods. The location is yours to choose — I show up wherever that is.
The Courthouse package covers within 90 miles of Hebron, IL. The Elopement package includes travel beyond that — all-inclusive, no add-ons.
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Absolutely yes. Genuinely, please do.
I have three German Shepherds. I understand the assignment. If your fur babies are part of your family — and they are — they belong in these photos. Chaos in the background is not a problem. It's actually kind of the best part.
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We work with it — or we make a plan.
Weather is one of those things that always does what it wants, and honestly we love a good plot twist. If your location is outdoors and the sky has other ideas, we'll figure it out together — whether that's shifting the timing, finding a covered spot nearby, or leaning into the moody overcast light that ends up being everyone's favorite frame in the gallery.
We'll build a backup conversation into your planning support so we're never caught off guard. You won't be left figuring it out alone on the day.
How Much Should You Budget for Elopement Photography? Use My Estimator.
Real numbers in real time for your elopement photography package.
Wedding Investment Calculator
No gatekeeping. Pick your coverage, add what you need, and you'll see what it takes to lock it in + how payment plans break down.
This determines which collections are available to you.
Used only to estimate monthly payments (final payment due one week prior).
Need more time? Add hours here.
⚠️ The Courthouse and Elopement packages are available Monday–Thursday only.
Total Estimated Investment
$—
Choose radius + collection to see totals.
Retainer Due at Booking (⅓)
$—
Non-refundable. This is what officially locks your date.
Payment Plan Options
- Option One — Split Payment Plan: ⅓ at booking, ⅓ midway, final ⅓ one week prior. Sneak peeks within 7 days of your wedding.
- Option Two — Extended Monthly Payments: ⅓ at booking, remaining balance split monthly, final payment one week prior. Sneak peeks within 7 days of final payment.
Split Plan Breakdown
$—
⅓ / ⅓ / ⅓
Monthly Plan Estimate
$—
Add your wedding date to estimate monthly payments.
Friendly heads up: this calculator is an estimate for planning. Your exact payment schedule is confirmed in your contract once we book.
Did we just become best friends?!
Courthouse Wedding & Elopement Packages & Pricing in Illinois & Wisconsin
Nicole Kilday Photography offers courthouse wedding and elopement packages for intimate ceremonies of 10 guests or under across Northern Illinois, Chicago, Lake Geneva, Southern Wisconsin, and beyond — available Monday–Thursday since 2016. Based in Hebron, McHenry County, Illinois. The Courthouse package includes up to 2 hours of continuous coverage within 90 miles of Hebron, IL, starting at $1,795. The Elopement package includes up to 4 hours of continuous coverage with travel beyond 90 miles included, starting at $5,675. Both packages include ceremony and portrait coverage, planning support, sneak peeks within 7 days, a full delivered gallery, flexible payment plans, and an ordained officiant at no additional cost. Nicole has documented and officiated intimate ceremonies at the McHenry County courthouse, along the Chicago skyline, on the Silver Lake Sand Dunes in Michigan, and at Electric Forest in Michigan.