Some couples want an extravagant wedding with chandeliers and ice sculptures adorning the room, but not everyone has the budget for it.
A wedding in Vancouver costs around $25,000 on average. That’s a lot of money to spend on your honey.
Luckily, there are still some fun and cheap options for those who want something more understated or may not have as much to spend on the ceremony.
The process of getting married is actually super simple, so you can get creative in where you want your wedding to be and how to celebrate.
We’ve come up with some unique places for you to celebrate your big day that won’t cost quite as much as the typical ceremony.
Before we get into the ideas, here’s what you need to get hitched.
What is required to get married?
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The first step is applying for a marriage licence, and this can be done at your local London Drugs for just $100. All you need to bring are documents that have your full legal names, birth dates, places of birth, and current addresses.
Next is getting the necessary people. To become legally married, you’ll need a wedding officiant or commissioner, and two witnesses. That’s only a total of five people.
Then all you have to do is register your marriage and you’re all set to start calling your partner your spouse!
Stay-at-home wedding
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Who says you have to leave the comfort of your home to get married?
With only five people required to legally wed, you can simply roll downstairs in your finest PJs and tie the knot in the crème de la crème of comfort.
This wedding option is perhaps the cheapest way to enjoy your day, but that doesn’t mean it has to be unromantic. It’s super easy to turn your living room into your dream venue.
Push your couches to the side, sprinkle some rose petals across the floor, and grab some fairy lights from your local dollar store to transform your living room into the ultimate intimate venue.
Bloedel Conservatory
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Located in the heart of Queen Elizabeth Park, the Bloedel Conservatory is one of the most beautiful backdrops for a larger wedding without the typical cost.
The lush dome can be rented at the price of $910 for two hours of exclusive access. The perfect amount of time for a ceremony!
While not as cheap as a pyjama wedding, less than $1,000 is a pretty good deal considering the typical cost of weddings. The Bloedel Conservatory is also great if you want more friends and family to attend, with the normal rate allowing up to 50 people in the venue, and opportunities for up to 150 people for an added price.
Exchange vows, take some beautiful photos, and explore the green paradise.
A courtroom at the Vancouver Art Gallery
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Now this option definitely qualifies as one of the more creative places to get married. The Vancouver Art Gallery has two courtrooms that can be rented for your special nuptials.
The rooms were built in 1911 and have historical architecture to make your ceremony feel elegant. It’s a perfect balance between the simplicity of a courthouse wedding with the more celebratory feeling of an organized ceremony.
The unique backdrop this spot provides also means you can get creative in the layout of your wedding. Why not have the officiant do their officiating from the judge’s seat? Why not throw the witnesses in the witness stands for a very authentic experience?
You can enquire about booking the courtrooms by emailing the gallery directly.
BMO Theatre Centre
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For this location, you definitely need to make sure you don’t have stage fright.
The Newmont Stage at the BMO Theatre Centre is perfect for a more modern feel to your special day. The venue can host up to 243 guests for a larger celebration and the whole room has a flexible design for you to set up the perfect layout to get those special shots.
Being part of a theatre, there’s understandably a great sound and lighting system in place to customize the setting of your wedding exactly how you envisioned it… assuming you envisioned it in a theatre.
An added bonus to this place is that there are plenty of dressing rooms to prep for the main event, and there’s an optional full bar service you can add, too.
Science World
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Be warned that this venue is one of the pricier ones on our list. It doesn’t weigh up to the typical wedding costs, but it is still on the more expensive side of things.
The Green Roof Terrace can be rented for $6,500 and is the perfect picturesque backdrop for a gorgeous and elegant wedding. The space comes with a patio and tent for a more traditional wedding set-up at a non-traditional venue.
It also had added perks, where you can pay an extra fee of up to $180 to have your ceremony set to the peaceful music of the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN).
BC Sports Hall of Fame
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If you and your fiancé are big sports fans, then you may want to take your love of sports and each other to another level by having your wedding at the BC Sports Hall of Fame.
Let your guests wander before the nuptials by exploring the many artifacts of the 2010 Olympics and Paralympics. The happy couple doesn’t have to be the only thing the guests admire.
This unusual venue can host up to 350 people, which means you don’t have to worry about narrowing your guest list too much. Invite all the second, third, and fourth cousins your heart desires!
It costs around $2,400 for the full venue outside of business hours — an absolute steal of a price for such a unique and interactive venue.
Eloping
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Sometimes the stress of wedding planning can simply make you want to run away and get hitched without all the hassle. Well, that’s a very suitable option with the elope package by Pop Up Weddings BC.
The package is ideal for an intimate ceremony, with the deal allowing between two to 20 guests. It organizes all the elements you need for a wedding to save you time, including coordinating the ceremony, creating a detailed timeline, and setting up an hour for professional photos.
There are also add-on options available to make your day extra special. You can choose to have live music playing, a videographer capture the ceremony, or additional decorations to give it that extra magical feel.
This package will make your wedding planning and financial stress disappear with its great deal for only $4,600. In the past, the company has even put up free pop-up wedding events in Robson Square.
Why not try one of these ideas for your special day?