Real wedding · Hartford, Connecticut
Amber & Marco
Hartford City Hall
Marble halls, a brass elevator, and a ceremony under orange silk
- Venue
- Hartford City Hall
- Location
- Hartford, Connecticut
- Setting
- City & chapel
- Photographs
- 11 selected
The building did a lot of the talking. Hartford City Hall's central atrium rises several stories to a coffered ceiling, with balconies stacked on every side and a checkered marble floor below. Between 2 pink marble columns, a woman in pale blue silk fixed Amber's veil, then held her hands for a long moment before the rest of the family came in. Amber wore soft lace with short sleeves, the tattoos on her arms showing through, and she didn't stop smiling.
The ceremony stood under an arch of burnt orange silk and warm-toned flowers, with an officiant in a purple stole and a bridesmaid in rust red beside her. Amber laughed and cried at the same time while Marco read his vows from a card. Afterward the family lined up in the middle of that marble floor, dark suits on one side and jewel-toned dresses on the other, the whole atrium rising above them.
Portraits happened all over the building. A kiss on a balcony framed by a mustard-colored arch. A walk down a long terracotta corridor lined with lamps. A frame from high above as they stood alone in the atrium, small against all that stone. My favorite was the old brass elevator, doors open, the couple standing inside like it was the only car going up.
Getting ready
Pale blue silk, pink marble, and a quiet few minutes before the ceremony.
Ceremony
Burnt orange silk and warm flowers stood out against all the white stone.
Portraits
Balconies, corridors, and an elevator gave every floor of the building a turn.
Planning a wedding like this?
City hall atriums are bright, but the light comes mostly from above, so portraits work best near balconies and archways where it wraps around faces. Staff and visitors will be around on a weekday, so plan a short, flexible portrait walk and be ready to wait a minute for a clear hallway. Bold colors like orange and rust look rich against pale marble.
