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:
For more information visit Service Ontario Site re:
Getting Married in Ontario
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
