One Couple's Destination Elopement at Chicago City Hall

Lorenzo and Kimleon were introduced through mutual friends in 2008 as undergraduates at Southern University, but it wasn’t until a few years after graduation that they began dating. In October 2023, Kimleon orchestrated an intimate proposal at home, surrounded by loved ones who had traveled in to celebrate with them. The pair initially planned to elope at their local courthouse, but they decided to level-up their plans with a destination elopement in Chicago, a city they visit often and hope to call home one day. “We wanted to add a touch of elegance to the traditional courthouse marriage by incorporating formal attire and inviting guests,” Lorenzo says. “We decided to share our wedding with our closest family and friends, aiming to create an intimate and meaningful wedding weekend filled with cherished moments.” 

Lorenzo took on the planning process himself, and in less than a year, he organized a wedding weekend full of events, including not just the courthouse elopement, but also a rooftop welcome dinner, a stop at a champagne bar, and a farewell brunch at a winery. Planning a destination celebration in their favorite city, the grooms say, was simple. “Lorenzo had already curated a wedding inspiration file on Instagram, where he saved vendor suggestions, ideas, tips, and more-even before we got engaged,” Kimleon says. And though they didn't hire a formal wedding planner, they did rely on the expertise of one of the industry's most respected experts for guidance: “To stay organized, we used the Mindy Weiss wedding organizer, which was invaluable for managing our planning process and tracking expenses,” the couple notes.

On October 11, 2024, Lorenzo and Kimleon exchanged vows at Chicago City Hall, then celebrated with cake, champagne, and dinner, surrounded by eight of their closest loved ones. Read on to see the memorable details of their intimate wedding day in photos by Amanda Megan Miller.

It was important to Lorenzo and Kimleon to formally invite each of their eight guests to the wedding, so they worked with Shine Wedding Invitations to create paper goods for the weekend. They chose a black and white invitation suite, which was finished with gold wax seals. They also created a thank-you card for each guest with an illustration of the Chicago skyline, where they were able to express their gratitude to loved ones for joining them for the festivities.

Lorenzo and Kimleon both wore attire from Wellgroomed Man. “Choosing our tuxedos was a bit of a rollercoaster ride,” Lorenzo says. “Our final pick wasn’t what we had in mind at first, but it turned out to be the perfect choice!” Kimleon went with an off-white single breast shawl jacket with a satin lapel and cuffs paired with black tuxedo pants, a Tom Ford bow tie, and patent leather Dior tuxedo shoes. Lorenzo wore a custom off-white double breasted shawl jacket with black tuxedo pants and leather shoes. He accessorized with a Rolex watch and David Yurman bracelet.

Both grooms had their initials monogrammed on the cuff of their shirt and their wedding date stitched on the inside of their jackets for a personal touch.

Lorenzo and Kimleon exchanged Tiffany & Co. wedding bands, one platinum and the other in white gold with pavé diamonds.

Before heading out for their elopement, which was attended by eight of their closest family members and friends, the grooms decided to share a private moment in their hotel suite after they had finished getting ready. They used this time to exchange personal vows before heading to the courthouse, where they made it official.

Outside the courthouse, the couple’s guests cheered them on in celebration as the emerged from the gilded doors as husbands. When asked what stands out most about their wedding day, Lorenzo says, “Having our invited guests present to celebrate our union, which was everyone’s first gay wedding.”

Guests were asked to wear black cocktail attire for a cohesive look. Lorenzo and Kimleon surprised their mothers with calla lily bouquets to mark their signficance.

Once married, Amanda Megan Miller whisked the newlyweds couple away for wedding-day portraits. “During our post-wedding photo session, we were overwhelmed with love and kindness from random pedestrians around the city,” Lorenzo remembers.

Lorenzo and Kimleon met their guests at Miru at the St. Regis, where they celebrated with a champagne toast and wedding cake. 

They also cut into a petite white wedding cake, which featured "Just Married" in script across the top and a fondant figurine of the couple’s dog, Kofi, in a tuxedo. They chose a vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream and Italian meringue buttercream frosting.

After enjoying dessert first, the entire group moved to Maple & Ash for a celebratory dinner. After that, they stopped by the couple’s favorite champagne bar, Pops For Champagne, for more bubbly!

To couples in the middle of the wedding planning process, Lorenzo and Kimleon have these words of wisdom: “Do it your way and be fully present in the moment!”