Posted byOn day three of elopement week we have Jill & Andy. Although Jill & Andy are planning to get weddinged in August they wanted to get legally married as soon as possible. So they had a small ceremony behind the City Hall in Kingston, Ontario. This allowed them to have an intimate celebration that involved a few loved ones (including their dog!). -Coco
The offbeat bride: Jill Kilgour: photographer, receptionist, pig whisperer
Her offbeat partner: Andy – Lineman
Location & date of wedding: Market Square, Kingston Ontario Canada — April 2, 2010
What made our wedding offbeat: We have a big wedding planned for August (stay tuned) but decided to get legally married on Easter weekend. Our city does not allow marriages at City Hall so we had our ceremony, along with two witnesses, a minister, a singer and one of our dogs, in the Market Square behind city hall. 
It was beautiful and intimate. And once the papers were signed we danced in the empty market.
No one was invited but a few unexpected guests showed up to watch, no complaints here! Afterwards we went to the top of a parking garage, one of my favourite Kingston spots, to have our photos taken.
In August we are “getting weddinged.” This wedding will be an eco-conscious, animal-friendly celebration with 160 guests, our three dogs and four pet pigs! And yes, my pig will be walking down the aisle!
Our biggest challenge: The biggest challenge was finding a minister! My dad is a minister and he is performing the ceremony in August so we wanted to keep it special for him and use someone else for the legal ceremony. Wow, ministers are expensive! In the end we found an awesome friend of the family, he could not have been better. 
My favorite moment: When my parents showed up! No one was invited in order to keep the fireworks for the big wedding party. But we showed up at the square and my parents showed up. It meant so much to have them there because they weren't happy about this off-beat decision to get married before the wedding. They were thrilled and thought it was lovely.
My advice for offbeat brides: No one thought we should have a legal ceremony but it was what we wanted. We respected the opinions of our friends and family but in the end after careful thought and prayer this was our decision. It was totally right for us and I think the photos show to all the sceptics how happy we are with the decision! 
What was the most important lesson you learned from your wedding? Make it your own! I was vintage chic, he was openly tattooed and we brought our dog! It was beautiful because it was exactly who we are and nothing is better than authenticity.
Care to share a few vendor/shopping links?
- My dress came from Winners
- My hat came from LeChateau
- My shoes were Steve Madden (very old)
- Photography by Sonya Siemens
Enough talk — show me the wedding inspo!
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Wow! I am from Kingston and never ever expected my hometown to show up on offbeat bride!
I am the mother of the bride and no we weren’t thrilled but as usually Jill’s beauty inside and out captured our hearts. It was a beautiful simple ceremony. I cried when the musician played Somewhere over the Rainbow while they had their first dance. Lovely
I really like this wedding, simple, chic. However, it is the second “elopement” wedding featured this week that is a prelude to a bigger, grander thing, which is awesome and fantastical to be able to have two weddings, but I feel like alot of people who elope maybe don’t have that option (financially). It would be nice to see some elopements that are just that, no second marriage intended!
“gorgeous, gorgeous” is pretty much what I say after each picture
I’m looking forward to details on the August event!
Agreed, that bride is a real knock out. The groom’s handsome, too!
I lover your bridal balloon bouquet. I have already made nice fake pomanders for the church pews, and wonder about the need for real flowers for the bride/groom/etc. I was thinking wrist corsage, but maybe this is even better! I saw a pic of a reception where there were silver star balloons tied to the back of every other chair. Thanks for the inspiration!
wow i spent a great summer as a teenager in kingston and it’s always had a special place in my heart. i love this wedding – smoking hot couple, gorgeous dog and that cute ickle hat is to DIE for!!! :-O
It’s so funny -on OBB I’m so used to seeing “legal ceremonies” taking place in Canada for those who cannot legal marry in the states (transgendered, gay etc) that I was looking at the pics trying to ‘figure it out’. ‘Duh! I love OBB
Beautiful wedding- I loved the brides outfit 🙂
Hi. Can we talk her dress?? I’m gonna have to break it to my husband that we have to move to Canada so I can be near a cheap department store that makes dresses like that …
Winners is kinda like Kohls in that they carry discount designer-type clothes.
As a fellow OBB let me assure you that clothing prices are ridiculous in Canada compared to the US and a lot of us head over to the states to shop (born and raised in a border town)
i want to look that hot when i get married. hotdamn!!!
loooooooove the dress. also, the pics where he looks at his bride and you can see the sparks on the page. AWESOME.
i’m currently obsessed with pics right now & what i hope to get out of the pics we’ll one day have. i want obvious chemistry to jump off the page too.
stunning.
love retro!! NICE!!!!
Wow. Love that dress, love the pictures and love love LOVE those shoes 🙂
Soooo…I’m readdy OBB and had just posted the link about wedding photograher’s websites to my facebook page and what do I see? ME!!! Wow! I thought my submission was rejected and here we are only four weeks from our wedding on OBB! YAY!
I need to see the formal wedding pictures with the pigs and dogs! By far my two favorite things and wish they could be at my wedding 🙂