Getting Legally
Married In Ontario
Did you know?:
- There are only three groups of people who can legally solemnize
a wedding ceremony in Ontario. Religious Official, Ontario Municipal
Clerk/Designate, Judge/Justice of the Peace. See
before you get married fact sheet (pdf)
- There are two types of marriages in Ontario. Here is a quote
from the Service Ontario website;
To ensure that your marriage is performed properly and legally, an
authorized official needs to marry you. There are 2 types of
marriage ceremonies performed in Ontario:
"Religious marriage: a recognized
religious official marries you. Check the religious marriage Officiants
list to ensure that the officiant you are interested in hiring is
authorized to perform a marriage in Ontario.
religious marriage Officiants
Civil marriage: a judge, justice of the
peace or authorized municipal clerk marries you, often at a local
municipal office or city hall.
Find a local city hall, town hall or municipal office"
- On your wedding day you have a wedding themed party until the
officiant shows up.
- The officiant is the only professional of the day you MUST have.
No officiant, no wedding.
- There are people in Ontario acting fraudulently masquerading as
wedding Officiants. Always confirm that the officiant you have
chosen has a licence to marry in the province.
- A marriage certifcate will not automatically be mailed
to you by the marriage office, you are required to order one.
- A marriage certificate is a record of a marriage. It lists the date and place of
the marriage, and names of the people who were married.
- A record of solemnization of marriage is not the
same as a marriage certificate.
- Before you can get a marriage certificate, a marriage needs to be registered.
The official who performed the marriage will do this by sending a complete and
signed marriage licence to Service Ontario.
- You can order a marriage certificate about
6-8 weeks after this happens.
- If you are unsure if you need a file sized certificate or certified certificate,
please check with the Ministry, government agency, or person requesting the
document before you order.
- I am a Religious Official that is involved in an organization
that encourages couples to choose their own ceremony content. We
desire that the ceremony be a reflection of your love and commitment
to each other, not a particular religion.
- I am Licenced with the government recognized denomination
Celebrating Life Ministries.
- For legal confirmation my name can be found on the Service
Ontario website at this link;
religious marriage Officiants.
Helpful Links:
Getting
married in Ontario fact sheet pdf
Before you get married
fact sheet pdf
Who
is allowed to perform marriages in Ontario
Getting
remarried in Ontario after a divorce
