The Process.
Nobody likes surprises on their wedding day. The words that I speak at your ceremony will be fully approved by you. I will collaborate with you and your future spouse to create a ceremony that makes sense for you. I love my ministry work, and in particular, I love to meet with couples and spend an hour or two kind of "interviewing" them. I then craft a personalized script for the couple's wedding. They will have 100% approval before we proceed with the ceremony.
Typically, after I create the first draft, couples will make one or two minor changes/additions. Then, several days before the wedding ceremony, you will deliver to me your marriage license. I will do all of the paperwork to make your marriage legal with the Ontario government. Then on your special day, I will bring all the necessary forms filled out along with a copy of your wedding script that you can have as a keepsake.
Getting married in Ontario
You need to be at least 16 to be married in Ontario. Anyone under 18 needs to have permission from their parents.
You will need to fill out an application form for a marriage license from the government of Ontario. The easiest way to do this is to go to http://ontario.ca/page/getting-married#section-0.
Once you have filled out your application, you will need to bring it plus 2 pieces of government-issued identification for each person getting married (one must include your photo) to a city hall, town hall or municipal office. It does not need to be in the same place as where your marriage will take place.
Please apply for your license 2-3 months before your wedding date. It may take a few days to process, and more than once, I have seen them make a mistake. You want to have time to make any corrections if necessary! Also, a marriage license expires 90 days after it has been issued. Pay attention! The timing is essential.
If you have been previously divorced, you will also need to bring along proof of your divorce. This might be a final decree, a final judgement or a certificate of divorce.
On the day of the wedding, I will leave you with the “Record of Solemnization”. This is a legal record, but it is NOT a certificate of marriage - and the government does not automatically send you that.. If you want a certificate of marriage, please wait for 6-8 weeks after your wedding and then head onto the Service Ontario website and make the request. I cannot do this for you. It must be requested by one of the 2 people who married.
Gay and Lesbian Weddings
Destination Wedding Prep
Of course.
If you want to get legally married in Ontario but are planning for a big ceremony out of the country, I can provide a very simple solution. The marrying couple and 2 witnesses would still be required, but we can meet and fulfill all of the legal requirements and file the paperwork without any pomp or circumstance.