Have you been forced to re-think your wedding plans due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent limit on mass gatherings?
If you’re still wanting to tie the knot this summer - albeit without the lengthy guest list - the City of Vancouver is offering up a solution.
The City announced it's making an outdoor venue adjacent to City Hall available for “micro-weddings” of up to 10 people total, at a cost of $85, not including tax, per ceremony.
Five people, including the couple, officiant, and witnesses, are required to hold a ceremony, meaning a total of five additional guests may be allowed to attend each ceremony.
The first eight couples are set to say "I do" tomorrow, June 19, in Helena Gutteridge Plaza.
Helena Gutteridge Plaza. Photo courtesy of the City of Vancouver Space bookings for the space are currently open online, with eight, half-hour time slots from 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. available for each Friday until Sept. 4.
While all dates aside from Aug. 28 and Sept. 4 were listed as "full," as of June 18, the City does explain that the pilot may continue indoors one Friday per month inside the Council Chamber from October 2020 to May 2021, dependent on public health directives.
Monday, July 27 has also been reserved for LGBTQ2+ weddings, as a special event kicking off PRIDE Week in Vancouver.
While the city may be providing the venue, each couple will need to make their own arrangements for an officiant, photographer and marriage licence before they can walk down the aisle. (Marriage licences are not available for purchase through the City.)
Couples will also need to ensure any decorations they bring are zero waste, and don’t need to be affixed in any way - nothing that must be taped, tacked or nailed is allowed, nor is “throwing of any litter outside City Hall.” (Yes, that includes confetti and rice.)
However, decor at each ceremony will include physical distancing decals placed on the ground, “to ensure the couple, officiant, witnesses, and guests are standing at a safe and comfortable distance from one another,” the City explained.
The initiative comes following the City’s original plans to launch a pilot project for civil weddings at City Hall for this spring and summer, with options for couples to hold a ceremony in Council Chambers or outdoors, on the plaza. The City intended to use the original pilot as a way to gauge interest for civil ceremonies held at City Hall.
“While the full program cannot be rolled out at this time, the City wanted to provide an option for those who may have had to change their wedding plans due to the pandemic,” staff explained in the release.
For details regarding available dates and times, head to the City of Vancouver’s web site.
This article was originally published on May 10, 2020, and updated as more information became available.
