There a few things that will help you be more prepared for your civil wedding ceremony at Boston’s City Hall. All of Boston’s City Hall wedding ceremonies take place in room 601. What’s the standard process for getting married at Boston City Hall? What should we do if we have our marriage license, but can’t tie the knot at City Hall due to the partial closure? Alternatively, as all three experts suggest, you can ask a friend or family member to apply for a One-Day Marriage Designation in Massachusetts so they can officiate your nuptials. Once you have your license, you can go ahead and schedule your ceremony at City Hall by contacting the City Clerk’s Office or the City Registrar. Obtain Your Marriage License. Second (and third, and fourth, and fifth) is that you’ll either be eliminating or cutting down your other wedding … It’s really about social distancing,” she explains. Stockholm City Hall is temporarily closed. The City Hall is famous for its grand ceremonial halls and unique pieces of art, and is the venue of the Nobel Prize banquet held on 10 December every year. Worcester City Hall, Municipal Buildings Closed to Public from Dec. 24-Jan. 11 As the result of a continued increase in positive COVID-19 cases, the City of Worcester has announced it will close City Hall and other municipal buildings to the public from Thursday, Dec. 24 through Monday, Jan. 11. The couple must each have a government issued photo identification, such as a driver’s license, Massachusetts ID card, or a passport. “In talking with the Assistant Clerk about a week or two ago, [we decided] that once we begin again, we will ask people to wear masks. First, you don’t have to worry about paying an exorbitant wedding venue cost (or spend months trying to find one). How many people will we be able to bring with us? Copyright © 2021 ∙ DMCA Policy ∙ Privacy Policy ∙ Terms of Use ∙ Log in. Immediately south of Boston lies a collection of smaller communities often referred to as the South Shore . There is a $25 late fee charged to couples who show up late for their appointment, also payable in cash only. Now, once you’ve got the particulars sorted, you can focus on the fun stuff… The Dress Please order your certificate online or through the mail. Will we have to wear masks if and when we are able to get married at City Hall? Right now, that isn’t quite clear. Secondly, you’ll want to hire someone with a portfolio that includes multiple City Hall weddings. McMahon also advises that if you do already have your marriage license, you should make things official ASAP even if your original wedding plans are no longer possible: If you wait too long to get married and let your license expire, you’ll have to go through the application process all over again. The on-site event Currently, Feeney says the building is only open to the public on Tuesdays and Fridays from the third floor downward. “Hopefully people can hang in there just a little bit longer.”. However, bringing hordes of people in and out of these small rooms no longer seems feasible in the age of social distancing. Cambridge City Hall, located at 795 Massachusetts Avenue between Inman and Bigelow Streets in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was built in 1888-89 and was designed by Longfellow, Alden & Harlow in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. No city hall is as classic or popular for a wedding as the beauty of San Francisco City Hall. Boston is one of America’s most desirable cities, full of history, action and cosmopolitan culture. You must schedule your wedding ceremony with the City Clerk, who has access to the Justice of the Peace’s schedule. Whether you are eloping or brought an entourage, a city hall ceremony is an amazing way to tie the knot. Massachusetts City Guides Massachusetts offers thousands of wedding venues. Welcome to the City of Holyoke, MA. There’s also a lot of clapping after the first kiss, even if it’s just me and Maureen [Feeney] there,” she says. The Cambridge, Massachusetts City Hall is the city hall for Cambridge, Massachusetts, located at 795 Massachusetts Avenue, and built in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. WORCESTER Massachusetts 1912 City Hall. The Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT) provides some highlights on their wedding venue ideas page. Typically, they take place in the office of the Registrar, the office of the City Clerk, or the office of the Assistant City Clerk. Can we get married at Boston City Hall right now during the coronavirus outbreak? “I think it’s an opportunity to see if there are other areas in City Hall that we might be able to use so that we can perform these ceremonies and still have people have a comfortable setting with some kind of privacy,” Feeney says. However, it’s important to note that amid the coronavirus outbreak, this process is slightly different than outlined above. Any couple planning to get married in Massachusetts can head to City Hall’s Registry Department to apply for a marriage license using the Marriage Intention Form. According to Feeney, the last City Hall wedding she personally officiated occurred back in March. City Hall and Municipal Buildings to Close at 2:00pm on Thursday December 24th and Thursday December 31st 2020 12/22/2020 Please be advised that Springfield City Hall and all municipal buildings will be closed at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday December 24, 2020 and will remain closed on Friday December 25, 2020 in observance of Christmas. All slots offered through the end of May booked up in March, and Wednesday, when the Registry Department posted a new batch of openings for the first two weeks in June, they had filled up completely by the end of the day. “The ceremonies performed by all three [City Hall officiants] are meaningful and loving. We didn’t originally plan to have a City Hall wedding but are now contemplating it given the gathering capacity regulations we may see in the future. According to McMahon, when towns around the state closed their city halls back in March, Boston City Hall—which continued to offer marriage licenses—received a rush of visits from out-of-town couples who were desperate to complete their applications. More on that below. The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. Steps for Planning Your Boston City Hall Wedding On the big day, don’t forget to bring your marriage license and an ID. For the latest information about the ongoing COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic, click here to visit our dedicated page. Mirisola has two key pieces of advice. City Hall reopened to the public in mid-August after shutting down during the first pandemic wave in the spring. Get inspired by Mary Bohenek and Todd Keller's elopement at Boston City Hall. This is known as filing the intention of marriage. There is a $50 application fee and a three-day waiting period after you apply. Why? Charlie Baker order seeking to slow the spread of coronavirus. Wedding ceremonies are available Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays: 10:00AM – 11:30AM, 2:00PM – 3:30PM, all on a first reserve, first serve basis. Every city in America requires couples to obtain their marriage license before they can be legally married. After the wedding ceremony is complete, whomever you chose to perform the ceremony must sign and return your marriage license to the City/Town Clerk where it was issued so it can be legally recorded. Think However, between the influx of people trying to secure a marriage license at Boston City Hall and the building’s abbreviated operating hours, these appointment slots have been filling up rapidly. In addition, the City Clerk says before City Hall weddings start up again, they will need to have internal discussions about where ceremonies might occur going forward. All payments must be made in cash. How can we schedule a wedding ceremony at City Hall? Any price markings you may see on the item (in pencil, pen, sticker etc) are not valid. Perfect for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, Central Massachusetts wedding venues strike the perfect balance between luxury and affordability. There’s usually discarded Dunkin cups on sidewalks, dark gum spots, dirt, cracks, and potholes in the pavement, random tourists in bright jackets in the background, trash cans, and cigarette butts,” she says, adding that all of those distractions can and should be edited out of your photos by your photographer. In addition, many Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) parks are happy to accommodate small wedding ceremonies , and a limited number of parks can accommodate larger weddings, as long as you get a special use permit for the day. It is a wonderful place to enjoy a simple City Hall wedding, whether you are a Boston resident, an out-of-towner looking for a hip spot to invite family and friends for a no-frills wedding or for couples who plan to elope. Marriage licenses are available exclusively on Project Cupid. “They know how to time crosswalk photos to not get other people in the background, they know all the secret streets in Beacon Hill that don’t have cars parked on them, they’ll have the patience to wait for the bridge in the Public Garden to clear out for a five-second open window for photos, and they can adapt their camera settings from inside a dark MBTA train to outside on Newbury Street,” the pro explains. And in fact, you’re probably not the only couple in town with a quick government ceremony on the brain. McMahon, meanwhile, says she did officiate a few weddings in a hallway at City Hall in April, but those were booked back in February before City Hall partially closed to the public. Framingham City Hall Will Mostly Close To Public - Framingham, MA - The closure comes after a new Gov. The current hall was built in 1968[1] to assume the functions of the Old City Hall. When can we expect City Hall operations to resume more fully and start offering wedding ceremonies again? The building's first floor In order to obtain a marriage license, the couple must appear together in the office of the City Clerk. According to the City of Boston’s website, where you’ll find additional details about the process, you need to apply in person and have everything on hand that you’d probably expect: a form of valid identification, your social security number, and so on. Feeney theorizes that “It’ll probably be at least another couple of weeks before we talk about that,” but she suspects “There is going to be some movement around these things,” she says. Michael’s Function Hall is a wedding venue situated in Haverhill, Massachusetts. For more information on ongoing city services, please click here. This one is a “yes,” but the process is currently a little different from the standard protocol outlined above—and might require some extra patience. Our wedding dresses for City Hall and courthouse weddings make it easy to find a wedding dress for intimate ceremonies. First, make sure your photographer is skilled at retouching photos. Philadelphia City Hall A grand building in the heart of the city, Philadelphia City Hall is one of the largest municipal buildings in the world. Massachusetts Wedding Venues, Wedding Venues in Massachusetts The residents of Massachusetts are a proud lot – and they have plenty of reasons to be! Once that’s complete, you’ll go back go to City Hall to pick up your license, which—whether you plan to get married at City Hall or elsewhere—you’ll need to give to your ceremony officiant. Restricted records Massachusetts General Law only allows certain people to get a copy of a restricted birth, marriage, or death certificate. Boston’s City Hall is a mid-century design, located right in the heart of downtown. Massachusetts Bay Lines fleet of vessels ensures the right vessel for your wedding events. All offices of the City Clerk - NYC Marriage Bureau remain closed to the general public until further notice. This makes it easy to have your City Hall ceremony, followed by a reception lunch or dinner at one of numerous nearby restaurants and reception halls, many of which are within walking distance. Learn More about what it takes to have a city hall wedding, especially if this is what you and your partner have dreamed of for the big day! It includes the offices of the mayor of Boston and the Boston City Council. To schedule a marriage ceremony at Cambridge City Hall, please call the City Clerk's office at 617-349-4260. The building's third floor entrance is from City Hall Plaza at Government Center. “I do talk with couples a bit and find out a little about them and everyone has such a unique story. But local cases have only continued to rise since the end of summer. “We really try to make it as personal as possible no matter what the reason is that they’re coming to get married at City Hall,” Feeney says. This makes it easy to have your City Hall ceremony, followed by a reception lunch or dinner at one of numerous nearby restaurants and reception halls, many of which are within walking distance. Boston is no exception, and couples should be prepared ahead of time because there is a three day waiting period between the time you apply for the marriage license and when it is actually granted and available for pick-up. Get tips on how to save money, planning ideas, how to create your own vows and so much more delivered straight to your inbox! 10 Expert Tips For Planning Your Rehearsal Dinner, This search result is here to prevent scraping, On the Market: A Single-Family Lakefront Haven in Natick, The 10 Best Roast Beef Sandwiches Near Boston and the North Shore, Five Under-the-Radar Boston Landmarks You Should Check Out, The Action-Packed History of Tom Brady's Mansion in Brookline, Women, Weed, and Sex: What You Need to Know, 57 Things To Do in and Around Boston This Winter, Inside the Bunker at Boston Public Schools. If you are traveling from out of town, you will want to incorporate this into your timeline so you can have your marriage license in hand when your special day arrives – it’s required for your ceremony to commence! What should we know about hiring a photographer for our City Hall elopement? McMahon notes, however, that whoever is enlisted to do so must be physically in the same room as the couple during the ceremony, meaning you cannot ask Uncle Jerry in New Jersey to marry you over Zoom. We got all of the details from Maureen Feeney, as well as City Registrar Patty McMahon and Lena Mirisola, a wedding photographer who specializes in city hall nuptials. “Obviously, that’s a challenge with social distancing, so we had to figure out how we could spread those out and keep couples and staff safe.” Couples must still apply together and in person though, so the department created a new online form allowing brides- and grooms- to-be to book appointments to come in (one couple at a time) to apply for a marriage license. For now, the department will continue offering a few weeks of available appointments at a time, McMahon says, but you’ll want to think strategically about when you’ll actually need to come in based on when you plan on getting married (keeping in mind that licenses take three days to process and expire after 60 days) and then act fast when booking. Thinking of changing your plans amid the COVID-19 outbreak? It also houses offices for 300 people including the City Council. There are three forms that the couple must complete. And since it’s not the traditional big white wedding, you get even more options for getting creative with what you wear. Getting married? This includes the guided tours and the City … Featured in a range of styles, these are elegant but effortless dresses that let you shine, inside and out. If you’re coming up with a plan B after coronavirus kyboshed your wedding plans, getting married at City Hall might seem like an appealing idea right about now. And although the sixth-floor City Clerk’s office has opened a temporary office on the second floor, ceremonies at are not occurring there. Many local justices of the peace are still performing wedding ceremonies amid coronavirus. ), excellent sports teams (go, Red Sox), top-notch academic institutes (Harvard and MIT, to name a couple), and an amazingly rich culture and history. Plus, the photographer adds, a City Hall elopement often allows couples more freedom on their wedding day: “They don’t have to conform to tradition or obligations, they can enjoy whatever cuisine they want, they can stop into a bar for a quick glass of whiskey before portraits,” Mirisola says. “Getting married at City Hall means you’re shooting in the middle of the city, and as much as we love Boston, it is dirty. Stately elegance and exquisite architectural design make San Francisco City Hall a perfect venue for celebrating the most important occasions. You may also schedule a marriage ceremony in person if you are filing your marriage intention in Cambridge. Some of the most popular ones are in Boston, Cape Cod and Worcester, so have a look at the best wedding venues in Massachusetts to find the. If you're a scraper, please click the link below :-) According to Feeney, all brides and grooms can be certain that her office wants to do whatever it can to help make a City Hall wedding a meaningful occasion for all couples. If you're a human and see this, please ignore it. Situated in Brookline, Massachusetts, Alden Castle provides the ideal setting for a vintage wedding with a modern twist. The state is home to outstanding food (lobster rolls and clam chowder, yum! “Everything is a fun adventure.”. Typically, up to four guests are allowed at a City Hall wedding. David McDonough, 31, and Kelly Hayden, 37, arrived at City Hall about 45 minutes before their scheduled 12:30 p.m. wedding ceremony to be officiated by City … Some couples just want to get married and don’t want any frills, which is fine, and some couples write their own vows and add their own little niceties to the ceremony. “That’s the bigger issue.”. Can we still expect it to be the special, personal experience we’d always imagined for our wedding day? The venue offers flexible wedding packages and services, and can accommodate weddings of varying sizes, budgets and styles. According to Feeney, this will most likely be the case. In short: no. The Music City Queen is the ideal choice for a 200 person sit-down wedding dinner & dance. But before you head downtown, there are some things you need to know about getting married at Boston City Hall now and in the future. “I think we’re going to see a lot of people who say, ‘Look, our wedding day didn’t happen, so we’re just going to get married and then have a big party [down the line],’” City Clerk Maureen Feeney says. “We had 60 couples come in to file a marriage license in one day,” she says. [1] The building additionally serves as a centerpiece of the surrounding City Hall Historic … Note that clicking the link below will block access to this site for 24 hours. Any couple planning to get married in Massachusetts can head to City Hall’s Registry Department to apply for a marriage license using the Marriage Intention Form. Boston City Hall is the seat of city government of Boston, Massachusetts. Wedding ceremonies cost $75 and last about 15 minutes. City Hall is currently closed for walk-in service. About City Hall Located in Chicago’s popular West Loop neighborhood, we offer an unparalleled choice for weddings, private functions, live events, conferences, product launches, commercial video & photo production, and fundraising galas. Boston’s City Hall is a mid-century design, located right in the heart of downtown. To contact Boston City Hall, call 311 or 617-635-4000. Please visit nyc.gov/Cupid to begin your virtual marriage license process. You will be required to pay a $60.00 ceremony fee and a $15.00 service fee, for a total of $75. Though Feeney did not say whether this number may change when City Hall resumes full operations, she did indicate that video conferencing may be a good option for couples who’s like to include their loved ones, adding that it’s something more people have been doing over the years so they can include faraway relatives. It is a controversial[2] and prominent example of Brutalist architecture, part of the modernist movement. Please note: In-person appointments for marriage certificates are on hold due to COVID-19. The couple cannot receive the marriage license until the fourth day after filing the Intention, unless a court o… Start and end your wedding planning journey with Boston Weddings' guide to the best wedding vendors in the city. Blood tests are no longer required in Massachusetts. Boston City Hall is located in the heart of downtown Boston. Once you have your marriage license in hand, you can schedule a City Hall wedding ceremony. Registration To Perform (Solemnize) Marriages Massachusetts: Makes sense to us. Swap vows and congrats—you’re married! There are a LOT of benefits to having a City Hall wedding. Read this first. About us City Hall & Central Park Wedding Photography Hi my name is Vincent, If your’re planning on getting married in New York City and looking for a great Wedding Photographer with the most affordable prices, then let me capture your memories and put your heart and budget at ease. The following steps can help you plan for your civil wedding ceremony in Boston’s City Hall, whether it’s a small, private affair or a celebration with family and friends. It’s really just a gift to share in people’s happiness.”, Mirisola, who has witnessed many a City Hall wedding from behind the camera, agrees. Your privacy is safe, we will not sell or share your information to anyone. See photos from their low-key private nuptuals in April 2018.