Hundreds of people got married for free on Sunday in Vancouver's Robson Square as part of a pop-up wedding event.
A total of 144 couples and their loved ones lined up near the ice rink to register for a time slot at one of seven altars. Each had its own officiant and professional photographer.
"We want to give back to the community and let people know they can get married without spending thousands and thousands of dollars," said organizer Nicole Vanselo. "It’s just a fun way to celebrate love."
The event ran from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and all couples needed was a marriage licence and a $20 donation to the Vancouver food bank.
Natasha and Stephen Ens are expecting their first baby in March, and thought the simple, cheap ceremony was the perfect way to get hitched.
"It's crazy man, my nerves were just going the whole time," said Stephen. "It feels good to have a ring … I wouldn't have done it any other way."
"It was amazing," Natasha added. "I wasn't expecting to get so emotional."
The pair met while Natasha was finishing high school and Stephen had just started culinary school. A mutual friend introduced them, saying Natasha needed to try Stephen’s lemon squares.
This is the third time the Love in the Square event has married couples for free in Vancouver. The first event in 2016 happened on Valentines Day and married just over 70 couples.
"It's a true shotgun experience," said Vanselo. "We get people that have kids, people that have gotten married in Mexico and it's not necessarily legal … and people that just got engaged last week."
Speed was the reason James Gunn and his fiancé Samantha came down.
"I wanted to get married the day he proposed, so this is the quickest way to go about it," she said.
The couple said they want to start a family.
"We thought … look towards the future instead of spending all our money on a wedding," James said.
Others didn't plan much at all, deciding to come at the last minute. Chris and Diane Keough didn't tell anyone, and laughed at the possibility that their family would find out on the news.
"Today we're eloping," Diane said. "He's the first person I've ever been with that gets me. I love him to pieces."
With a report from CTV Vancouver's Scott Roberts
