Manitoba

Winnipeg city hall searching for city's best love story

The City of Winnipeg is inviting couples to tie the knot at city hall and will let one pair of lovebirds do it for free.

Couple with best story will be first to tie the knot at city hall

Couples will soon be able to tie the knot at Winnipeg city hall. (Elaine Thompson/Associated Press)

The City of Winnipeg is inviting couples to tie the knot at city hall and will let one pair of lovebirds do it for free.  It is a way to pop the cork on the first marriage at city hall.

For a fee of $500, couples will soon be able to get married on municipal grounds. The city will waive that fee for one Winnipeg couple with the best love story to get married at the inaugural ceremony.

The city put out a call Friday to couples wanting to get married at city hall asking them to send a brief description of their love story and why they want to be the first to tie the knot at city hall.

A spokeswoman said the wedding can happen shortly after the Oct. 28 submission deadline. Couples wanting more information can visit the city's website.

The city said it's already had seven or eight inquiries from couples wanting to get married since council approved it in March.

Weddings can happen in the city hall courtyard, the mayor's foyer or in city clerk offices.

The city wouldn't say how much revenue it expects to generate from ceremonies going forward. 

"This is a service that the City Clerk's department provides to citizens; offering wedding ceremonies is another way to invite the public in to participate and enjoy City Hall. As such, we don't have any revenue expectations," a spokeswoman wrote in an email.