Edmonton’s River Valley Park System offers an array of diverse and beautiful sites for an outdoor wedding. An event license may be required to hold an outdoor wedding ceremony in a river valley park if: 

  • Your group is 50 people or more
  • You have any set-up (tables, chairs, archway, tent, and such)
  • You would like to reserve any of our designated picnic sites or gazebos, the Shumka Stage or Borden Park Bandshell for your exclusive use, regardless of your group size 

A license is not required to take wedding photos in a park, however, space is not guaranteed and access through an area must remain accessible to the general public. 

In order to have an enjoyable, safe and stress-free event in the park and river valley system, there are some guidelines which must be adhered to in order to receive an event license.

License Requirements
  • A Certificate of Insurance for a Minimum of $2 Million liability insurance with the City of Edmonton listed as additionally insured  
  • An Event Site Map indicating where the ceremony will take place 
  • Dates and times for use of parkland
  • Alternate plans in case of bad weather or emergency situations
General Guidelines
  • Rehearsals may require a second booking to reserve the location
  • Temporary structures and equipment set-up must be approved in advance
  • Chairs are allowed in limited quantities in various locations and include camping chairs, folding chairs, benches, and such.  No more than 10 chairs are permitted for weddings booked in Open Space on Parkland unless approved in advance by the Civic Events and Festivals Section.
  • Sound systems must be approved in advance and operated at noise levels as acceptable in the City of Edmonton Community Standards Bylaw 14600
  • A vending permit is required for any food services.  All vendors must have a valid business license and may also require a specific Alberta Health Services (AHS) Permit. Consumption of liquor is prohibited in public areas, as per the Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act. This includes consumption for private events in all city parks
  • Dogs are not permitted in picnic areas, playgrounds or sports fields. Dogs may be walked on trails only if they are on leash. Dogs may be off leash on parkland and trails only if you are in a designated off-leash area
  • Rice, confetti, artificial flower blossoms, glitter, birdseed and grass seed are not permitted
  • All decorations, including balloons, must be approved by the Civic Events and Festivals Section prior to the start of the event. Release of balloons is strictly prohibited and balloons (or remnants of balloons) must be removed from the Parkland space at the end of your booking time and properly disposed of 
  • Signage, route markings, and directional aides must be approved prior to installation and removed immediately following your event. The use of chalk is not encouraged due to the product being challenging to remove. The use of spray chalk is prohibited 
  • A Parkland Vehicle Access Pass may be granted to allow for vehicles, golf carts or other off-highway vehicles to access parkland. Failure to provide the pass upon request to Bylaw Enforcement or Park Rangers may result in a fine
  • There is no reserved parking for wedding ceremonies
  • Winterized picnic sites are available in select river valley parks. For a list of locations refer to Picnic Site Information
  • Park areas are open for public use from 5am-11pm daily. Bookings are limited from 8am-10pm.

There are several location options within the River Valley Park system, which may be suitable for your wedding location. Additional guidelines may apply depending on the request.