Couples lined up early Tuesday to be the first, but Susie Fogle and Brian Wildeman were No. 1 to get hitched after arriving at the Daley Center at 4 a.m.
The newlyweds were married by Cook County David Orr at the Daley Center after filling out some paperwork after the office opened at 8:30 a.m.
A judge waived the 24-hour waiting period so Orr - who is the only clerk in Illinois who can perform marriages - could marry them during a ceremony in his office, something he has done since 1991.
Fogle and Wildeman have known each other for 10 years and have been a couple for five years. They also have a 2-year-old daughter.
"It's kind of an adventurous way to do it, too, so it's fun surprise, a fun way to announce it to our friends and family," said Wildeman, who wore a tuxedo onesie, which was helpful with staying warm as they waited in frigid temps for the county building to open.
As a wedding gift from the county, the 49-year old University of Chicago Lab School teacher and 35-year-old nanny received their marriage license for free, as well as other gifts.
They also got a bouquet of flowers, a $100 restaurant gift certificate, a cake and a two-night stay at a downtown hotel. Their honeymoon will be in Tokyo in March.
For Clerk Orr, this was his last first-of-the-year marriage as he will be retiring at the end of the year.
WATCH: First Marriage of 2017