Getting Married in Ontario: A Quick Guide
The process to obtain your marriage license and certificate is not complicated, though it does take some research. I’ve created a quick guide below to help you sail you through it. Let me know if you have any questions!
1. Get a Marriage License:
You need a license to get married. See below how to apply for one, and how to schedule an appointment at a municipal office or city hall to pick it up. The license is valid for 90 days, so plan!
Link: How to Obtain a Marriage License in Ontario
Link: Marriage License Application Form
2. Gather Required Documents:
To get your marriage license, you'll need to bring valid identification and, if applicable, divorce or death certificates from previous marriages.
3. Pay the Marriage License Fee:
There is a fee to obtain a marriage license in Ontario, which varies depending on the municipality. In Ottawa, it’s $178.43 at the time I wrote this post. Click here for an updated fee list.
4. Choose an Authorized Wedding Officiant – that’s us! Click Here to see an authorized list of officiants, and to verify that Vow Perfect is legally permitted to legally marry you (search for Emina Delalic).
5. Enjoy Your Wedding Ceremony!
On your big day, the officiant you chose will conduct the ceremony and complete the legal paperwork. Vow Perfect will completely most of the paperwork ahead of the wedding, to give you and your partner maximum time to enjoy your wedding day! That said, make sure to have two witnesses present.
6. Get Your Marriage Certificate
After the wedding, you'll want a copy of your official marriage certificate for legal purposes, as well as to change your name, if you decide to do so. Click here to do this.
7. Update Your Legal Documents
If you plan to change your last name or other personal information, you'll need to update your identification and legal documents. Start with your Social Insurance Number (SIN), driver's license, and passport. Note: the provincial, municipal, and federal systems don’t talk to each other. You will have to call each body separately to change your last name. This is also the case for federal departments. Personally, I started with the SIN, the CRA, passport, credit cards, and MyOttawa account, including all utilities associated with it.
Now that you're armed with the knowledge of how to tie the knot in Ontario, you can focus on creating a wedding day and ceremony that reflect your love story. Let us know if we can help!