In many ways, Christina & Curtis expected their courthouse wedding to be something of a formality, a way to officially transition from calling one another fiance to something with more gravity. Engaged for sometime and with three children rounding out their already happy family, it is easy to understand how they could preemptively come to that conclusion. But real life can be surprising and wedding days – big or small, grand or modest, church or courthouse – can be especially unpredictable in the emotion department. For Christina & Curtis the day was decidedly romantic, intimately lovely, robustly joyful and best of all, it was entirely on their own terms. They dressed on different floors of their gorgeous Christmas-trimmed home, surrounded by evidence of their love and happiness. Their daughter played peek-a-boo as Christina donned a wintery lace dress that exuded loveliness from every tiny button. Their sons were cuddled and cared for by grandparents and siblings as Curtis toasted life and his soon to be wife with family. And then it was the moment to go hand-in-hand to Milwaukee’s magnificent old courthouse, to say yes to forever under the soaring architecture and stately courtrooms of one of my favorite buildings in the city. They laughed and surprised themselves with joy, thrilled to be wife and husband, as well as mom and dad, friend and partner. It was, by all accounts, a most perfect way to spend an afternoon and the most perfect beginning to married life for Christina & Curtis.