Twelve couples can celebrate their love with a Valentines Day wedding at Owen Sound City Hall this year.
Registration is open for the second annual Just Say Yes Wedding Event which takes place February 14 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Community Development Coordinator Viveca Gravel revealed they decided to host the wedding day again after the success of last year’s inaugural event
"It was thrilling last year actually. It came up in about two weeks period. We are having a conversation about weddings and a wedding pop up," said Gravel. "And we woke up one morning and just said, you know, if we're going to do this, we're going to do it on Valentine's Day because why not? And it turned around very quickly. We had a lot of interest. In our first year, we had eight couples sign up in within the two week period."
"Just the smiley faces and all the couples that were able to get married that day, made it absolutely worth it and we're thrilled to be able to have it go over again this year," she added.
Gravel explained it costs the same as a regular wedding at City Hall, but there are lots of extras for the happy couple.
"You have a 45 minute period when you would come get ready, and have your up to 15 guests join you," Gravel pointed out. "And all during that time, you'll have a photographer kind of in the background, just like a full wedding at a different location, and you'll have the ceremony all set up."
The ceremony includes an officiant, décor, flowers, photos, vows, and a bubbly toast.
"You'll speak to the Wedding Coordinator Lee-Anne Kazarian, who will determine you know, which vows you're using, and the ring exchange," Gravel continued. "You can say your own words. And that's kind of a standout in terms of the difference from the regular city hall weddings, which are usually fairly straightforward and very simple. We're giving the couples an opportunity to just say a little bit more about their their love and each other."
The event is being hosted by the Owen Sound River District, the City of Owen Sound, and Shannon Deckers Real Estate.
"We're very excited to just support all of the businesses who are coming in to support with a gift bag for all of the couples, some of them will be walking away with coupons for various days or dinners," Gravel said
Bookings will occur every 45 minutes. It will cost $150 for a marriage licence and $400 for the ceremony, which is similar to the price of marriage ceremonies regularly performed at City Hall.
For more information regarding the booking of a ceremony for the Just Say Yes event, contact Lee-Anne Kazarian, Marriage Coordinator at 519-376-4440 ext. 1268 or email weddingservices@owensound.ca