When love came calling, Katie and Adam Born each chose to answer “I do” at Innisfil Town Hall.
The local couple needed to be legally married ahead of a destination wedding planned for a few weeks ago. So, on March 23, the pair — who have been together for 11 years — headed to the town’s administration centre for a low-key service with their two young children and another couple, who acted as witnesses, in tow.
“We wanted something intimate and small and easy,” Katie told InnisfilToday. “Town hall was our best option. We didn’t tell anybody we were doing it because we wanted the big celebration to be while we were away.”
Even under-the-radar weddings can be stressful, so she appreciated the “top-notch” level of communication from town staff about key details concerning the date, officiant and proceedings in the lead-up to the service.
“It was very easy and cost-effective,” Katie said. “It was a well-oiled machine. The actual day itself went perfect. The officiant was very flexible; my kids were running around like crazy the whole time. Everything went exactly how I wanted it to.”
She’ll always remember the special vows shared with Adam, and him tearing up during the ceremony.
“I don’t see him cry very often,” she said.
They were one of seven marriages executed at town hall that day. So, it seems plenty of other couples are putting a little love into civil ceremonies these days.
In fact, the popularity of this method for exchanging nuptials has “steadily increased” since the municipality started offering them in 2005, says records co-ordinator Jamie Brain.
While many couples cancelled large weddings due to COVID-19-related gathering restrictions in 2020, the town safely performed more than 60 civil ceremonies for those who wanted to keep their date. In 2023, Innisfil ran 147 ceremonies, almost double the numbers from the previous year.
“Through the last few years, we have found that many couples are forgoing large, expensive weddings and opting for simple and more personal ceremonies,” Brain said. “It’s a great option for couples looking to break away from a traditional ceremony; it’s quick, convenient and affordable. An additional benefit is the ease of an all-in-one service where couples can obtain their marriage licence as part of the ceremony booking process.”
Ceremonies cost $350, plus harmonized sales tax. And the town offers rehearsal and vow-renewal services.
To ensure each big day goes off without a hitch, the town has two staff to perform ceremonies during standard business hours, and three contract officiants who can travel to couples’ homes, private venues and town hall on weekends. They’ll also go outside of the municipality for a fee.
For Wendy Ricciardi, helping happy couples wed has become a passion project. A longtime manager at the Innisfil ideaLAB and Library, she took on the role of officiant in 2016 in the lead-up to her own 25th wedding anniversary.
She expects to perform her 200th ceremony later this year.
“Look at the numbers; they just keep going up and up,” Ricciardi said. “I keep everybody’s name and date. I love love. I love the happiness, and the whole sentiment of love. We give them introductions and vows to choose from. We put the ceremony together for them. Any questions they have, we have the answers. I try never to say ‘no.’ I’ve brought in my Bluetooth speaker for some couples. I let people put little petals in the council chamber. I’ll take a family shot for them. I’m sure all of us (officiants) would do anything to make the day special.”
Ricciardi’s most memorable moments? After presiding over her first service, she brought the couple a bottle of champagne. She’s helped wed work colleagues. A couple whom she married during a small service in the pandemic invited her back to carry out a larger second ceremony once health and safety restrictions loosened. She travelled for work to Hockley Valley and Creemore. And the personalized vows frequently bring a tear or two to her eyes.
And she was there for the seven-ceremony day in March, helping the Borns enter wedded bliss.
“I was overjoyed by the time I left that day,” Ricciardi said. “I can’t say enough how much I love to do it. There have been times where I’ve had to pull it together — it’s emotional.”
With money tight for many households, a civil ceremony may be overriding the need for a grand, traditional service, Katie said.
“The major consideration is cost,” she said. “With the cost of living being so high these days and a lot of young people getting married and having to buy houses, it’s just not worth spending all that money on one day. The cost was peanuts compared to other weddings I’ve attended for friends.”
Also, starting this month, the town will participate in the Ontario government’s new Marriage Licence Modernization program, which permits applications to be submitted through an online portal, streamlining the process for both the couple and the licence issuers.
More information about the town’s marriage program can be found at innisfil.ca.
