Mike and Kayla Kalanta didn’t want a big, fancy wedding. 

They wanted something simple and nice, with the people closest to them. This desire led them to Saratoga Springs City Hall, an impressive Italianate building that dates back to 1871. 

“I was never someone who dreamed about a grand wedding,” says Kayla. “I usually don’t like being the center of attention, so the thought of 200-plus people looking at just me and my husband sounded like actual hell. We also didn’t want to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on it.”

Kayla and Mike got married on September 16, 2024—their second dating anniversary—with parents, siblings, brothers-in-law, and Mike’s best friend from childhood in attendance. They took photos in Congress Park before the wedding, and returned afterward for more shots with their families. Then they celebrated with dinner at The Hideaway.  

“We chose Saratoga Springs City Hall because we liked the location, and we thought the architecture was beautiful,” Kayla says. “It was a very simple process. We got a list of judges who could officiate from the city clerk and just called.” 

Photography by Sydney Andrew

With wedding prices at an all-time high (the wedding planning platform The Knot estimates that in 2025 the average wedding cost $33,000) more couples are seeking an inexpensive alternative. According to Pinterest’s 2025 wedding trends report, searches for “civil ceremony photography” on the platform jumped 637% from 2023 to 2024, while searches for “registry office elopement” increased 190%. 

There are reasons beyond money for choosing to wed in city halls and courthouses. There’s less planning, fewer guests to manage, and more freedom and flexibility for couples.  

“It’s a big stress reducer for the couples and also for us,” says Altamont-based photographer Kristen Renee, who has shot weddings at the city halls in Albany and Schenectady. “We’re not beholden to the venue or the caterer or the wedding planner’s timeline. So, if the couple is like, ‘We’d really like to walk down the road over there,’ we’re like, ‘Yes, of course, we have all the time in the world for whatever you want right now.’”

Industry insiders say the shift to smaller weddings and elopements began in 2020. In the early days of the pandemic, many weddings were canceled. When they resumed, limits on the number of guests forced people to scale back. This upheaval resulted in a lasting mindset shift. 

“The pandemic disrupted the idea that anything has to be any kind of way,” says Albany-based wedding photographer Andrew Franciosa. “It got people to question whether they even want a big wedding. It was like, ‘Do you actually want this, or is this what you think you’re supposed to do?’” 

Getting married at city hall requires two appointments: the first to obtain the marriage license and the second for the ceremony. (New York State requires a 24-hour waiting period before the ceremony can be performed.) In New York, weddings can be officiated by mayors, former mayors, city clerks, judges, justices, and others. You can have a small audience, but city halls and courthouses often limit the number of guests allowed at the ceremony. 

In Saratoga Springs, weddings are performed in the courtroom on the second floor. Retired City Judge Douglas Mills serves as officiant at many of these ceremonies; he married the Kalantas. 

“A lot of people get married in Saratoga Springs because it’s a destination, or they’re involved in racing, or they go to school here,” Mills says, adding that he enjoys officiating weddings because he gets to meet people from all over the world. 

Joanne Yepsen, who served as mayor of Saratoga Springs between 2014 and 2017, officiated more than 200 weddings during her two terms. “I liked making it special for each couple,” she says. “I’d try to sit with them for a few minutes, find out about their families, their backgrounds. I remember sentimental stories. People would say they met in Saratoga Springs and wanted to come back.” 

Photography by Shots By Sheri

Albany residents Taylor Washington and Donovan Canty got married at Albany City Hall in November. Like the Kalantas, they didn’t want a big, expensive to-do.  

Instead, they spent just six weeks planning their wedding. They checked into an Airbnb near Albany City Hall the day before the wedding. On the day of the ceremony, Washington did her hair and make-up; Canty picked up his tux. After the ceremony and photo shoot, they returned to their Airbnb for food from Olive Garden, cake, and Champagne.

“We’re not really party people,” Washington says. “Maybe that’s lame to other people, but we had a good time.”  

Kayla says she and Mike made their wedding as special as they wanted. “I still got the white dress, flower bouquet, delicious cake, and amazing photographer, with half the stress that comes with planning,” she says. “The only thing I’d do differently was maybe hire someone to do my hair—I’m absolutely terrible at styling it, and that was the biggest stress of the day.” If that was the biggest stressor, it sounds like the Kalantas’ Saratoga City Hall wedding was a success.