If you have ever thought about skipping the big traditional wedding and doing something more intentional, more you, then Miriam and Greg’s wedding day is going to stop you in your tracks.

They got married at Boston City Hall on June 23, 2025. No ballroom. No 200-person guest list. Just the two of them, a breathtaking bouquet, and a day that wound through the streets of Boston like the best kind of love story — one that started as friendship, grew slowly and quietly, and then became something neither of them could ignore.

By the end of the day, they had cannolis in their hands, their faces lit up at the Christian Science Center reflecting pool, and cocktails at a favorite Boston bar to close it all out. It was exactly them.

A Little About Miriam and Greg

They met at work. Three years went by before anything romantic happened — three years of inside jokes, shared holidays, and that particular kind of knowing someone that only comes from real time and real presence. When things finally shifted between them, it felt less like falling in love and more like arriving somewhere they had always been headed.

They are the kind of couple who fills a weekend with spontaneous trips, restaurant discoveries, karaoke nights, and long days at the beach. They love ice cream. They are grounded in their faith. And when it came time to plan a wedding, they knew exactly what they did not want: something that did not feel like them.

What they wanted was simple. Meaningful. Joyful. Boston.

What to Know About Getting Married at Boston City Hall

If you are thinking about a City Hall wedding in Boston, here is everything you need to know to make it happen.

Step 1: Get Your Marriage License

Before your ceremony, you will need to visit Boston City Hall to apply for your marriage license. In Massachusetts, there is a 3-day waiting period after you apply before the license is issued, so plan accordingly. You must both be present when you apply. Bring a valid photo ID (driver’s license or passport), your Social Security number, and if either of you has been previously married, the date that marriage ended.

The Marriage Certificate counter is located in the main hall of City Hall — look for windows 24 and 25. The staff there are genuinely lovely and make the whole thing feel surprisingly warm for a government building.

Step 2: Schedule Your Ceremony in the Marriage Division

Boston City Hall offers civil ceremonies performed by a City Registrar in Room 222, the Marriage Division. This is where Miriam and Greg said their vows. The room is quiet and official, with the Boston City seal on the wall (“Bostonia Condita AD 1630”), the American flag, the blue Massachusetts state flag, and rows of red law books lining the shelves. It is understated and genuinely beautiful in its own way.

The City Hall team can accommodate virtual guests as well — Miriam and Greg had loved ones joining via video call, watching the moment unfold from wherever they were in the world.

Step 3: Think About the Details

Just because you are getting married at City Hall does not mean you skip the details that make the day feel special. Miriam carried a lush, romantic bouquet of pink, peach, and coral garden roses and ranunculus from the incredible team at @wildvalentine.co. Her sleek satin halter gown with its dramatically open back turned every sidewalk into a runway. Greg wore a cream suit with a black tie and looked effortlessly polished.

Miriam also pinned a memorial charm to her bouquet — a small photo of a loved one no longer here — so that someone important to them was present in a quiet, beautiful way.

The little things are what make a City Hall wedding feel like yours.

Step 4: Celebrate After

This is actually the most important step, and it is completely up to you. A City Hall wedding gives you a full day to build something special around the ceremony itself. The North End, the Public Garden, the harbor, the Greenway, and countless iconic Boston neighborhoods are all yours to wander through. Some couples add portraits, a fancy dinner, a cannoli stop, or all of the above.

Miriam and Greg did all of the above.

The Day: Walking Through It

Getting Ready

Miriam got ready at a hotel just a short walk from City Hall. There is something genuinely wonderful about that kind of simplicity — no shuttle buses, no driving in a gown, no coordination chaos. She slipped into her sleek white satin halter gown with its low open back, twisted her dark hair into an updo, added gold jewelry that caught the morning light, and was ready to walk out the door and get married.

Greg waited in his cream beige suit, black tie, looking calm and ready in the way that only someone who has waited the right amount of time can look.

Walking to City Hall

One of the things that makes a Boston City Hall wedding so uniquely special is the walk there. No limo. No ceremony arrival. Just the two of you in your wedding clothes, moving through the city together before you are officially married. Miriam and Greg walked through Government Center, past Faneuil Hall, and up to the steps of the Brutalist concrete building that is, somehow, deeply photogenic when you are in love and the light is right.

The Ceremony in Room 222

The vows happened in the Marriage Division, and I want to tell you something: Greg cried. The moment Miriam started speaking, he could not hold it in. There is a photo of that moment in black and white — his face turned slightly away, trying to keep it together — and it is one of the most honest photographs I have ever been lucky enough to take.

They exchanged rings. They had their first kiss as a married couple (Greg threw both hands in the air like he had just scored). They held up their marriage certificate together with their arms raised and their entire futures in front of them.

Before they left, they stopped to take in the “Married in Boston” chalk botanical mural on the City Hall wall. A perfect detail for a perfectly Boston day.

The North End and Modern Pastry

Post-ceremony, they walked straight to the North End — because of course they did. It would have been wrong not to. They arrived at Modern Pastry on Hanover Street, stepped inside, and ordered cannolis. The box came out dusted with powdered sugar. Greg fed one to Miriam at the table while the “Cash Only” sign hung on the wall behind them and they laughed about something only they knew.

If that is not a wedding, I do not know what is.

Christian Science Center and the Reflecting Pool

For portraits, we made our way to the Christian Science Center — one of the most stunning and underused portrait locations in all of Boston. The wide open plaza with its iconic 700-foot reflecting pool, the soaring dome of the Mother Church, the ornate Romanesque stone arches, and the Boston skyline rising in the background (including that distinctive curved glass tower) make for images that look like they belong in a magazine.

Miriam and Greg with sunglasses on, walking side by side along the reflecting pool with the city behind them. Greg spinning Miriam until her cathedral veil went full motion blur. Greg lifting her up at the water’s edge while she laughed so hard she kicked her leg up. These are the kinds of photographs you hang on a wall.

The Evening Celebration

When the portraits were done, the day was not. They changed into their evening looks — Miriam in a stunning short white dress with a deeply open back and a dramatic satin bow, Greg in his shirt and vest — and headed out to celebrate with cocktails at a favorite Boston bar. The warm amber light, the laughter, the clinking glasses. The perfect close to a perfect day.

Why a Boston City Hall Wedding Might Be Right for You

A City Hall wedding is not a backup plan. It is a choice — and for the right couple, it is the best choice.

Here is what you get:

A ceremony that is entirely focused on the two of you. No vendor timelines, no table assignments, no seating charts. Just your vows, your rings, and the people (or just yourselves) who matter most.

You also get a full, free day to fill however you want. A City Hall ceremony typically takes less than an hour, which means you have an entire day in one of the most beautiful cities in America to wander, celebrate, eat well, and make memories that actually feel like your lives.

And you get photographs that look like a real story — because it is one.

Planning Your Own Boston City Hall Wedding

Here are the key things to have lined up:

The logistics: Marriage license (apply 3+ days before your ceremony), ceremony appointment in Room 222 at Boston City Hall, and two witnesses (though in Massachusetts, a civil ceremony officiant can often serve as the witness).

The extras that make it special: Florals (even a single bouquet makes the whole day feel elevated), hair and makeup if that is your thing, a great outfit, and a plan for how you want to spend the rest of the day.

The photographer: This is the part that turns a meaningful day into something you can actually hold onto. A City Hall wedding deserves a photographer who is comfortable moving through the city, capturing real moments as they happen, and helping you feel relaxed when you are wearing a gown on a crosswalk in Government Center.

That is exactly what I am here for.

Vendors

Photography: @genevievephotographyy | Florals: @wildvalentine.co | Hair & Makeup: @lyndsaysimonbeauty

Ready to Plan Your Own Boston Wedding?

If Miriam and Greg’s day resonates with you — if you want something real, joyful, and completely yours — I would love to hear about it. Whether it is a City Hall ceremony, an elopement through the city, or an intimate celebration in your favorite neighborhood, I am here for all of it.

→ Let’s talk about your wedding day

Genevieve Photography serves couples throughout Boston, New England, and beyond. Specializing in intimate weddings, elopements, and celebrations that feel like you.