Here’s how to plan a memorable elopement or micro wedding in Downtown Ottawa

There’s a shift in weddings away from the large traditional celebrations towards short and intimate elopements, and I’ve compiled some tips and suggestions on how to plan your elopement or micro wedding in Ottawa.

With the growing popularity of City Hall elopements specifically, I designed and organized a styled shoot to give inspiration to couples eloping at City Hall in Ottawa. The biggest take away is that you can make your elopement as elaborate or simple as you like and you can make it short and sweet or have a full day of activities planned.

We began the day at Andaz Ottawa, one of my favourite hotels in Ottawa because the rooms are modern, provide great service, and they have the best lighting. I wanted to include getting ready photos to the shoot because I highly recommend including this portion of the day in photos. From a storytelling perspective, it’s worth capturing. Getting ready photo’s are the beginning of the story of your day and can take you back to how you felt then.

Molly and Alisha took this shoot to dream goals with hair and makeup, I seriously can’t recommend working with these talented gals enough.

If you were getting married at City Hall, you need to schedule your civil marriage ceremony during a weekday from 9-5pm. Follow the link here to see what you need to do so – Requesting a Civil Marriage Ceremony.

After you say I do and become official, that’s when you can plan activities and celebrations!

For the styled shoot, we went to the National Gallery of Canada. We went to the European Art and captured photos throughout the museum. ** As of October 2024, the National Gallery no longer allows access to the galleries for photoshoots. However, you can still take photos in the public spaces. **

As a last stop and inspo for an untraditional wedding vibe, we stopped at the Chateau Laurier for a quick touch up in the bathroom. I really encourage you to have fun with creating memories on your day and being open to trying untraditional ideas with your photographer, it makes things really special and memorable!

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Here’s some ideas on what you can do for your Ottawa elopement:

• Visit the National Gallery of Canada or Ottawa Art Gallery
• Have lunch or cocktails at Aiana, Cocotte Bistro, or Thali
• Stop for a coffee at Little Victories Coffee or Jackson Cafe
• Take a private charter on the Ottawa River with Ottawa Yacht Tours
• Host a reception at Arlo with your friends and family
• Capture portraits at the NAC, Fairmont Chateau Laurier or Major’s Hill Park
• Have a picnic along the Rideau Canal at Patterson Creek Park
• Take a private flight or helicopter ride around Ottawa with the Canada Aviation and Space Museum

There are endless options and activities to include in your elopement year round, whether that’s at City Hall or anywhere in Ottawa. I’d be happy to help plan and capture your special day if you’re getting married in 2026!

Thank you so much to all the vendors who helped me bring this inspiration to life, you can find their info below! These photos are a mix of digital and 35mm + 120mm film scanned by GPC Labworks.