This session was shot by GMP founder and Principal Photographer Elizabeth Millar
Melanie and Zach got married at the St. Lucie County Clerk of Courts and then drove an hour south for portraits at the Norton Museum of Art in Palm Beach.
This one was a first for me on both ends. I’d never worked at the St. Lucie County Clerk of Courts and I’d never photographed at the Norton Museum of Art, so it was a creative day for me as I navigated these beautiful new spaces with these two beautiful people.
Melanie and Zach’s plan took a few different shapes before it landed here. What they eventually settled on was getting married in St. Lucie County at a clerk’s office one street away from the water, then making the hour drive down to West Palm Beach for their main portrait session at the Norton Museum. It’s a lot of ground to cover for one wedding day and it was absolutely worth it.
Ceremony at the St. Lucie County Clerk of Courts
The St. Lucie County Clerk of Courts wedding office sits in downtown Fort Pierce, close enough to the water that you can practically see the ocean from the front door.
The ceremony room is one of the best I’ve worked in. It has loads of natural light coming through plantation shutters, which is not something to take for granted in a government building. They’ve set up a wooden arch draped in colorful wildflowers that gives you a colorful focal point to get married under. The clerk who married them was cheerful and warm and seemed to love her job.
Melanie wore a tea-length off-shoulder gown with a birdcage veil and carried white calla lilies with long trailing greenery. Zach wore navy with a green tie. The whole look worked beautifully against the pastel buildings of Fort Pierce and the galleries of the Norton later that afternoon.
What’s the difference between a courthouse and a clerk of courts office?
A lot of times, what people call a “courthouse wedding” doesn’t actually happen inside a courthouse. The St. Lucie Clerk of Courts is a good example of why that distinction matters when you’re planning.
In Florida, the Clerk of the Circuit Court is the office that issues your marriage license and whose deputy clerks perform civil ceremonies. In some counties that office lives inside modern or historic courthouse building. In plenty of others, it operates out of a separate annex or service center, sometimes miles away from any courthouse. St. Lucie County runs ceremonies out of two clerk locations (the main office and the South County Annex) rather than the courthouse itself.
This is worth knowing because if you’ve picked a county because you love how the old courthouse looks, check where the ceremony actually takes place before you book, because it may not be that building. Which seldom matters because there’s usually a historic courthouse close by where we can go take photos after your ceremony.
Palm Trees and Pastel Buildings in Downtown Fort Pierce
After the ceremony we spent some time in the immediate area in St. Lucie County, and I have never seen so many palm trees packed into a few blocks. Downtown Fort Pierce is full of them. Rose pink buildings, brick pavers, and the retro Sunrise Theatre, which became the backdrop for some of my favorite frames of the day. Their precious dog came along for this part and stole the scene!
If you’re getting married at the St. Lucie clerk’s office and wondering whether you need to drive somewhere else for portraits, you don’t. There’s plenty of opportunity right there!
Portraits at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach
Then we drove an hour south to the Norton Museum of Art, which Melanie and Zach arranged directly with the museum by phone. They booked a two-hour private photo session with a docent at $350 an hour plus $100 for insurance, which the museum offered through their own policy rather than requiring the couple to source it separately. We can also use this location for group photos, but The Norton caps photo sessions at six people in the galleries.
The Norton is a legitimately stunning building. What makes it work so well for portraits is the range: you get bright white contemporary galleries with skylights and clean lines, and then you walk through a doorway into vibey galleries room with gilt-framed paintings, and then a checkerboard marble hallway, and then a crimson wall covered in small photographs. It’s many completely different photographic environments under one roof, and we used all of them.
Working with a docent as our chaperone turned out to be a real advantage. She knew the building, knew the photography guidelines and restrictions and moved us efficiently from space to space so we weren’t wasting time wandering aimlessly. That let me get properly creative.
I’ve photographed a wedding at an art museum before, at the Orlando Museum of Art, and I’d happily do more. There’s something about a couple in wedding clothes standing in a room built filled with beautiful artwork that just works.
There’s a scene in the movie The Vow where the couple gets married with a few friends in a museum gallery and ever since, I’ve dreamed of helping a couple with a little pop-up wedding like this. I think The Norton would be the perfect spot for it!
FAQ: Taking Photos at the Norton Museum of Art
At the Norton, yes. Handheld cameras are welcome in the galleries for personal photography. Flashes and large equipment are not allowed. You’re asked to stay at least two feet back from any artwork. Some special exhibitions and individual pieces carry photography restrictions due to loan and copyright terms, so check the label or ask your chaperone for guidance.
You’ll want to arrange your photo session directly with the museum ahead of time like Melanie and Zach did. They booked two hours at $350 per hour with a $100 insurance fee added on, for $800 total. The museum requires proof of insurance but they can cover you under their own policy for that small fee, which is easier than sourcing your own. Photo sessions are limited to six people in the galleries.
If you’re interested in taking photos at the Norton Museum of Art, you can visit during their regular hours: Monday 10am to 5pm, closed Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 10am to 5pm, Friday 10am to 10pm, Saturday 10am to 5pm, and Sunday 11am to 5pm. Final admission tickets are sold thirty minutes before closing. The museum closes for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
General admission is $18. Seniors 60 and over pay $15, students with a valid school ID pay $5, and children 12 and under are free. Members get in free. Art After Dark on Friday evenings is $10 for adults and seniors and $5 for students. You can purchase tickets online here.
Parking is in the lot across the street at 1501 South Dixie Highway. It’s $3 an hour with a three hour maximum session, paid through the ParkMobile app. Parking is free for Norton members. Accessible parking is available in the drop-off circle next to the museum entrance at South Dixie Highway and Jefferson Road.
Yes, and they’re included with admission. Sixty minute Highlight Tours and thirty minute Express Tours are led by docents and meet in the Great Hall. You’ll need a wristband from Visitor Experience to join one—learn more about all of the tours here.
The Norton’s permanent collection covers American art, Asian art with a strong Chinese focus, contemporary work, European painting, and photography, which is what gives the building such range from room to room. On top of that there’s a rotating schedule of special exhibitions, so it’s worth checking what’s up before you visit. The Pamela and Robert B. Goergen Garden wraps around the south and east sides of the building with outdoor sculpture by Keith Haring, Jenny Holzer, and Antony Gormley among others, and it’s included with admission. You can see what’s currently on view here and browse the permanent collections here.
Planning a Florida Wedding Somewhere Unexpected?
Whether you’d like to capture your Florida courthouse wedding or you’d like to take photos in a creative and unique location like an art museum, I’m here for it. Melanie put it better than I could: “My husband and I are tough as bricks when it comes to posing or taking relaxed photos but somehow Elizabeth got it out of us! We had so much fun. We twirled, ran, laughed and had such a good time and she gave us all the cues we needed to get more than plenty amazing shots. Our photos look like they came from a magazine!”
Congratulations, Melanie and Zach, and thank you for letting me tag along across two counties for this one. If you’re planning a wedding in Central Florida and want photos that capture your unique love story, get in touch.
