WILKES-BARRE, Pa. -- The Luzerne County Courthouse is open again for wedding ceremonies after its $2 million rotunda project.
For just $500, you can get married inside the landmark Luzerne County building with 125 guests.
People said having a wedding ceremony at the courthouse for $500 is a deal that can’t be beat.
"I've been searching for venues for a while and everything is pretty much triple the price of what they would want there, especially for the amount of people you can bring in and the niceness of the venue itself,” Robert Jones of Exeter said.
County officials spent $2 million fixing up the rotunda and another $60,000 beautifying the grounds outside for the summer.
“You can have a true authentic Wilkes-Barre experience here. It's something that people will be talking about and it's not something that people normally think about,” Luzerne County Manager David Pedri said.
With all the renovations inside the courthouse and improvements to the landscaping outside, county officials are hoping to average two weddings a weekend.
“This is the people's courthouse. People need to understand what a beautiful jewel we have right here in Luzerne County and I hope people take advantage of this,” Pedri said.
Just a few blocks away from the courthouse, Genetti’s is a popular place to have a wedding reception in downtown Wilkes-Barre. People who work there said the low cost of getting married at the courthouse could actually help business.
"It's also going to leave a little more wiggle room in a budget to let people come back here and spend more money on a reception versus spending $2,000 on renting a church,” Genetti’s director of sales and events Scott Sefanowicz said.
There are already a handful of people who have booked their weddings at the Luzerne County Courthouse, but county officials said there are plenty of openings.
To book a wedding at the courthouse, call building and grounds at 570-825-1647 or click here.