BAYONNE -- Free weddings at City Hall will soon be history after the City Council unanimously passed a measure this week that calls for a$100 charge for non-resident weddings and $50 for resident weddings.

The measure was proposed because municipal judges have noticed an uptick in the number of non-resident weddings at City Hall due to the ceremonies being free, which has become a burden on city resources, city Business Administrator Joe DeMarco has said.

Only one member of a couple has to be a Bayonne resident to qualify for the $50 wedding price.

The measure, which was approved without any residents voicing objections on Wednesday, is expected to take effect Nov. 1, city officials have said.

As previously reported, Bayonne joins Hudson County municipalities such as Kearny and Jersey City in charging for weddings.

Kearny charges $50 for both resident and non-resident weddings at its Town Hall. Meanwhile, Jersey City charges $52 for resident weddings and $72 for non-resident weddings.

Other municipalities, like Hoboken and Weehawken, only allow weddings for their residents at their City Hall and Town Hall, respectively, opting not to charge couples anything for those ceremonies.

Jonathan Lin may be reached at jlin@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @jlin_jj. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.