Whether you're planning a simple ceremony or a grand affair, City parks offer an ideal outdoor setting for all types of weddings. The City has many lovely park settings perfect for small wedding ceremonies, like the gazebo and gardens at Rainbow Park.
Park sites recommended for weddings include Lheidli T'enneh Memorial Park, Connaught Hill Park, Cottonwood Island Park, Rainbow Park, Veterans Plaza (in front of City Hall), and Paddlewheel Park.
Please also note the following restrictions for all locations:
- All garbage and recycling, including decorations and flowers, must be disposed of right away after your event. Please take your garbage with you to avoid over-filling the park bins.
- Throwing rice is not permitted. Bird seed is recommended.
- Smoking or consuming alcohol is not permitted in any Prince George park (in accordance with
City of Prince George Parks and Open Spaces By-law 7370).
- Please leave your pets at home.
The following tips can help to guide you through the planning process of your wedding:
Permits
Don't forget to contact City Hall to apply for all the necessary permits for an outdoor wedding. Be sure to ask about rules concerning: trash removal; available electricity; general park use etiquette; and parking.
Audio
When you picture your dream outdoor wedding, you're probably not thinking about the sounds of the kids at the local park or the toot from the Little Prince Steam Train. Look into renting a portable sound system. The use of a small portable stereo or microphone for your officiate is permitted. The use of large speakers to amplify voice or music requires an approved
noise permit.
Set-Up and Decorations
One of the bonuses of an outdoor wedding is the natural beauty around you, which lessens your need to decorate. Please remember flowers won't be in full bloom until later in the spring and summer. Ceremonies may be set-up in a vacant location on passive grass, without restricting access to other park users.
Your setup and take-down time must be completed within the time allotted for your event. A half-day park rental (5 hours) should be an adequate amount of time for set-up, ceremony, take-down, and clean-up. You are welcome to put up decorations using tape or string, but please don't use staples or nails as these may damage the trees and structures. Decorations must be removed immediately following your ceremony.
Chairs, Tents & Structures
Temporary tents and structures are permitted in parks; however, they must be weighted into place. Pegging or spiking tents into place is not permitted. Please work with the Facility Scheduling Coordinator to select a location for your tent or temporary structure. Chairs are permitted, but we request that the number of chairs be kept to a minimum to reduce the impact on the grass. All items must be set-up and taken down within the time allotted for your event.
Serving Beverages
Alcohol is not permitted in City parks; consider serving a variety of lemonades, teas, and punches. Be sure to have plenty of ice and water available for your guests as well. The outdoor weather can vary, especially in the spring or summer, leaving your guests dehydrated. To properly dispose of pre-packaged drinks, arrangements can be made for recyclable containers to be brought to the site for your guests.
Serving Food
You may cook with propane BBQs but please do not place your BBQ directly on any picnic table or other structure, as this may damage the surface. You may have your event catered; however, your caterer must not solicit or advertise business in the park and may only serve guests of your party.
Have a back-up plan
What will you do if it rains? The ideal outdoor wedding location has an indoor location waiting, just in case. A tent is a great option, but only for light to moderate rain storms. Make sure your tent rental is sturdy so it won't flip over, and that it has thick and weighted sides. All tents must have weighted sides and cannot be spiked into the ground.