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You must be at least 19 years old to get a marriage license in British Columbia, but unlike most of the United States, gay marriage is legal all over Canada. For same-sex American couples who wed in Canada, your marriage may not be completely recognized at home. The Human Rights Campaign suggests meeting with an attorney to discuss the legal ramifications of your Canadian marriage.

If you prefer an outdoor wedding, Vancouver has plenty of beautiful places where you can tie the knot:

• English Bay (First) Beach - English Bay is the most popular of Vancouver's many beaches. Weddings are allowed on any of the beaches, but you cannot reserve space or set up tents, awnings, chairs, decorations, or serve alcohol, and your party must be fewer than 50 people. Perfect for more casual weddings, but not ideal for a big affair.
  
• Stanley Park - A major tourist attraction in Vancouver, Stanley Park is over 1,000 acres of green space near the heart of downtown. There are lots of different locations within the park to choose from for your ceremony, including gardens, waterfront, and bridges. Like the beaches, you can't reserve these spaces, and you aren't allowed to set up decorations or structures. The scenery is gorgeous enough that you shouldn't need to do any decorating anyway.
• Bloedel Floral Conservatory - This geodesic dome is covered from bad weather, but has all the charms of an outdoor wedding. The atmosphere inside the dome is tropical and comfortable, with hundreds of plants and free flying birds. You may reserve the space for your wedding either in the morning, before public hours, or after closing in the evening. For more information about reservations, call 604-257-8584.

If it's an indoor ceremony you want, some popular venues include:

• Barclay Manor - For smaller ceremonies, this historical home is available for rent. If the grounds look familiar to you, maybe you recognize this place from the movies -- several films have been made here. For rental information, click here.
  
• Lind Hall at False Creek Community Centre - Normally the term "community centre" brings to mind plastic chairs and stained linoleum floors, but Lind Hall couldn't be farther from that. From the Vancouver Park Board Website: This "beautifully restored heritage building located on popular Granville Island... features birch hardwood floors and wainscoting, natural cedar beams and large picture windows backing onto Sutcliffe Park and Alder Bay." It suits groups of up to 200 people. Call 604-257-8195 for more information.
• Vancouver Maritime Museum - Perfect for a nautical theme, the Maritime Museum rents rooms inside as well as space on its terrace for weddings and receptions. E-mail operations@vancouvermaritimemuseum.com or call 604-257-8310 for more information.
  

For your rehearsal dinner, try these favorite restaurants:

• Dockside Restaurant - One of the top-rated restaurants in Vancouver, Dockside is just outside of downtown, overlooking the water. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer romantic views of the city skyline. The cuisine is Pacific Northwest at its finest. View the entire selection here.
  
• Lumiere - This award-winning restaurant would be perfect for a black tie event. The French menu and the sharp decor are the chicest of chic.
  
• Raincity Grill - This casual restaurant offers up class and style without breaking the bank. The menu features local and organic ingredients sure to please all "green" couples.

Notice that so far we haven't even mentioned a single hotel. That's because Vancouver has so much local flavor that you really get a chance to step outside the box when planning your wedding here. Even so, you and your guests will need some place to lay your heads. We like the Sylvia Hotel, a heritage building located adjacent to Stanley Park. Outside the city, there's the West Coast Wildnerness Lodge, a full-service resort that would also be happy to host your event.

With so many amazing choices, you're probably going to want to enlist the help of a professional. For a list of wedding consultants in Vancouver, click here.