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.
- 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 government issued registration number to marry in the province.
- A marriage certificate will not automatically be mailed
to you by the marriage office, you are required to order one.
- 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 their part by sending a complete
and signed marriage license to the marriage office.
- 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.
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
How to get a marriage certificate
after the ceremony
How to change last name
after the ceremony
How to
correct incorrect information on registration or certificate
Marriage Act