Having intimate weddings in a City Hall is one of the hottest wedding trends for this year. Of course, these are not quick weddings done on a lunch break, as the old stereotypes implied. A City Hall wedding can, in fact, be very chic, elegant, and modern.
A City Hall is truly a wonderful place to have your wedding ceremony. It is convenient, inexpensive and available year-round. But there are still some things that need to be done in advance for a stress-free wedding celebration. We are here to provide you with an easy-to-follow guide to getting married at a City Hall. Follow these steps and ensure your big day goes exactly how you planned.
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Table of Contents
1. Choose your location
All City Halls are special in their own way. So the only standard criteria applicable here is the location. Once you have singled out a City Hall on the basis of its location, though, there are a number of excellent places to get married within the City Hall itself. Whether you want to have your ceremony in the rotunda or on the balcony, you can pay a little extra and arrange for these spots to tie the knot exactly where you want to.
2. Make reservations
You are going to have to make two bookings. The first one is to make a reservation for a time to obtain your marriage license at City Hall. While you are there, you might as well book your wedding date. It is highly recommended that you pick up your license ahead of the day of the actual ceremony, or else it will add an element of stress that is not really needed.
3. Hire a professional wedding photographer
If you are going to get married at a stunning venue like a City Hall, you need to have excellent photos taken. If you think you are going to accomplish this with one of your friends who is “really good with a camera”, think again! City Hall wedding photography can be rather challenging with its changing light and tough angles. Therefore, it is advisable that you hire someone who has a decent experience shooting weddings at City Hall. There are quite a few good ones out there, just search on Google or Yelp.
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4. Put together your guest list
How many people do you look forward to witnessing your vows? If the answer is more than a few, then you may want to consider other venues. City Halls have limited capacity and if you bring in too many guests, you will most likely intrude on others who are having their ceremony around the same time as yours. On the other hand, if it is your heart’s desire to have no more than your dearest friends or family at your wedding ceremony, then City Hall is a great option. It is also an excellent way to cut down on your guest list to a select few without hurting anyone else’s feelings.
5. Dress up
The ceremony at a City Hall is, more often than not, non-religious and quite brief. But this does not imply that you cannot treat the ceremony like the auspicious occasion that it is. The traditional ensemble for a City Hall bride was a white wedding gown worn with a little hat and tasteful pearl bridal jewelry. But the modern version of the City Hall bridal ensemble tends to be more in vogue – with more brides opting for chic and trendy wedding dresses like lace wedding dresses, mermaid wedding dresses, long sleeve wedding dresses, to name a few.
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6. Plan for your big day
Bring your IDs and the marriage license! You will also need a witness. If you do not have anyone, your photographer can be your witness. The state only insists on one. Check-in for your ceremony at least 10 minutes ahead of the actual time. You should plan on reaching the City Hall no less than 30 minutes prior to check in to give you a moment to settle in.
City Hall weddings are truly unique and amazingly beautiful. There cannot be a better place for you to start your new life with your significant other than this. With the above-mentioned tips and ideas, you can be sure to not get worked up on your big day and enjoy it like it should be!
