Steps to Take to Be Married In Canada in A Civil Ceremony

Hi Hope you can help.

I’ve been with my boyfriend for nearly 3 years now via a long distance relationship (he is a Canadian citizen and living in Toronto and I am British citizen living in the UK).

We are planning on getting married this year (in western Canada via a civil ceremony) however I’m not 100% sure of what the process is to be able to do this.

What I’ve read up on is we need to obtain a marriage license and book a recognized place/person for the ceremony and ensure we have witnesses.

Can you confirm the following?

1. Is there anything more we need to do to be able to marry in Canada?
2. How do I (as a UK citizen) go about obtaining the marriage license to be able to get married in Canada?
3. Will this marriage be recognised in the UK (as the plan is my boyfriend will move to the UK on a marriage visa)

Any guidance would be appreciated!

Thanks!

Wedding Queen

I’m not Canadian, but I did a little online research for you.

I have attached an application for a marriage license in Ontario, Canada. It has a telephone number for the deputy registrar general in Ontario Canada, so perhaps you can call and inquire.

  Ontario Marriage License Application.pdf   356.2KB   471 downloads

Here is a link to local Municipal office in Ontariohttp://www.amo.on.ca…ylg/ontario.htm Have your boyfriend find his local office and visit to ask questions. Those people would probably be the best contact with the most reliable information.

Alternatively, you might consider hiring a local Ontario Canada Wedding Planner who could assist you will all of these issues including marriage license and certificate, locations and securing services long distance. I highly recommend this option, especially since you are not living in the area and don’t have access or knowledge of the area.

I hope this helps.

Bridal Consultant

Donna did exactly what I was going to suggest – do some online research, but most definitely consult with a local wedding planner. Above all this, your future husband should take this opportunity to find out these details as he is right there. He can talk with someone where you apply for marriage licenses and get more information. There may be waiting periods and might involve a couple of trips to Canada on your part. So definitely ask, ask, ask a lot of questions! As far as being recognized in the UK, you should be recognized as a legally married couple anywhere as along as you have a valid marriage license. You will, of course, want to have a notarized copy of your marriage license sent to you and kept it in a safe place as you will need that for changing your official documents to your married name. I imagine it would work much like a couple having a destination wedding in another country they are not residents of.

Just a thought as I’m typing: have you considered getting married in the UK since he’s going to be moving there anyway? Then you’ll both already be citizens of the country you’ll be residing in. I’m just curious…

Best Wishes!