Civil Weddings

The City of Toronto is offering a civil wedding pilot program. A civil wedding is a 30-minute non-religious ceremony performed by a City of Toronto officiant appointed to perform ceremonies on behalf of the City Clerk.

Civil weddings are available on a first come, first served basis:

Built between 1889 and 1899, Old City Hall is an example of civic architecture, a widely recognized city landmark at the junction of Bay and Queen Streets and a National Historic Site.

The City of Toronto will be offering, by appointment only, civil wedding ceremonies in the former Council Chamber at Old City Hall, 60 Queen Street West.

Due to high demand, the maximum time permitted in the wedding chamber is 30 minutes.

Dates for Thursdays in April 2026 are now full. Further Thursday dates in 2026 will be released in early April on this webpage.

Photography

If you have booked a civil wedding at Old City Hall, you are permitted to have a photographer.  No permit is required. The City of Toronto does not offer photography permits at Old City Hall if you are not having your civil wedding with us in the building. 

Officiant

A civil wedding is a 30-minute non-religious ceremony performed by a City of Toronto officiant appointed to perform ceremonies on behalf of the City Clerk.  Outside officiants are not permitted at Old City Hall.

Maximum Occupancy

25 people

A view of the Old City Hall Council chamber when standing at the back or seated in the audience.

A view of the Old City Hall Council Chamber when looking at the guest seating from the front.

 

A smiling, recently married couple is sitting in the wedding chamber in Old City Hall.

A valid Ontario Marriage Licence is required to book an appointment for a civil wedding consultation. If you do not have a marriage licence, please book a licensing appointment prior to booking your civil wedding consultation.

Consultations take place on Mondays and Tuesdays at the North York Civic Centre, 5100 Yonge St and are by appointment only.

Alternatively, you can book an in-person consultation with a member of our team when you apply for your marriage licence.

There is no fee for a civil wedding consultation.

Book a Civil Wedding Consultation for the North York Civic Centre

Civil weddings at the North York Civic Centre take place on Thursdays and Fridays between 10 am and 3 pm.

You will need to have the following items available during your consultation:

  • Valid Ontario Marriage Licence
  • Completed Civil Ceremony Questionnaire which will be sent to you by email before your consultation
  • Identification for both clients that was used when applying for your marriage license (review identification requirements)
  • Name and address of each of your two witnesses. If you do not have two witnesses, a witness can be provided by the City of Toronto for a fee of $29.24 (including HST) per witness. Please note that the fee per witness increased as of April 1, 2025 as per City Council’s decision at its February 14, 2025 meeting.

Please check in 15 minutes before your scheduled consultation for in-person consultations.

  • Your civil wedding includes a 30-minute rental of the wedding chamber and an officiant to perform your ceremony.
  • Your civil wedding date and time will be reserved during your consultation.
  • Payment for the civil wedding ceremony can be made by debit or credit card at your consultation appointment.
    • Your valid Ontario Marriage Licence issued within the last 90 days.
    • The same valid pieces of government-issued identification (one for each person) as shown during your consultation appointment.
    • Two witnesses (one for each person) who must be present in-person at the ceremony, as specified in the Marriage Act. The City of Toronto requires that all witnesses be at least 16 years of age. If you do not have two witnesses, a witness can be provided by the City of Toronto for a fee of $29.24 (including HST) per witness.
    • The City of Toronto officiates civil weddings in English. Couples are responsible for bringing a language interpreter, if needed. The language interpreter can be a family member, friend, or an official interpreter, but cannot be one of the witnesses.

    Please check in 15 minutes before your civil wedding start time.