Thanks to our multicultural society, you may find yourself at a wedding this summer that celebrates in ways you aren't familiar with — and we're here to help. Each week, the HuffPost Canada Living team will take a look at a different culture's wedding and tell you about the customs, traditions and rules that go along with celebrating your friends' big days.
When you think of city hall weddings, you may think of it as a fancier (and more sober) way of eloping. But city halls aren't just for shotgun weddings.
"Every couple has their own reasons, from stage fright to terminal illness," says Andrea Gabourie, executive producer of upcoming reality show "Let's Get Hitched," which follows couples tying the knot at city halls in Toronto and Ottawa. The show is currently looking for couples to share their stories of getting married at city hall.
Gabourie says the reasons couples decide to go with small and quick wedding ceremonies are endless. Everything from getting hitched before the baby comes to marrying before an immigration window closes to expenses, there's not just one reason why couples decide to opt for this route. City hall weddings are also quite open-minded and flexible — whether you're multi-faith, same sex or would like a zombie wedding, they're up for it.
An average of 1,500 couples get married at city halls per year in major cities like Ottawa and Toronto, Gabourie says, while smaller cities and districts perform 100 to 200 marriages a year. "The busiest times of year at city hall chapels are the summer months from June to August, Valentine's Day and Christmas."
And because the guests lists at city hall weddings are so small (most couples tend to invite two to 15 guests and some city halls have limits), you may not actually be invited to that portion of the wedding. Guests are often invited to receptions, lunches or dinners that happen after the civil ceremony.
Here are 13 things you need to know about city hall weddings:
