Everything you need to know about getting your marriage license

Feb 25

While your wedding is meant to be a celebration of love and family, there is one important legal element that all couples must follow to legalize their marriage, the Marriage License.

For a ceremony to be legal in Alberta, you require a marriage license, a legal officiant, two witnesses over the age of 18, conduct a legal ceremony and file your license after the ceremony is complete. Lets dive a bit deeper into those requirements.

To obtain a marriage license, you are required to go to a Registry office in the Province you plan on getting married in (not the province you live in). A marriage license can be obtained up to 3 months before your planned wedding date. In Alberta the cost is between $40 and up depending on the location.

This is important to note especially if you are travelling, to ensure that you leave some time to go to the registry when you arrive at your destination. Please also note you are required to travel to the registry together.

For example, if you are travelling from Ontario to get married in Banff, Alberta, you must leave some time to get your marriage license in Alberta before your wedding date. Its also important to note that most Registries are closed on the weekends, especially in a small town like Banff. It's important to check the hours and availability of a registry before hand, and work that into your planning.

Another example of this scenario would be if you were an Alberta couple looking to get married at Emerald Lake, in British Columbia. The couple needs to obtain a British Columbia Marriage License before the wedding. There is no registry office in Field, which is the closest town to the Alberta Border and Emerald Lake. It's important to be thinking ahead, and make plans to obtain your license in that 3 month period from a registry office in BC. The closest office to Emerald Lake is in Golden.

Some Provinces offer options to mail in a request for a license, but it is important to fully investigate this process before hand to ensure adequate processing time.

A legal officiant can either be a member of the clergy, or an appointed marriage commissioner. The person must be ordained in the province the wedding is taking place, and where the marriage license is issued. Recently, the province of Alberta has also allowed family members and friends be temporarily ordained to officiant a one off wedding.

As this is a legal process, its very important to understand the roles and responsibilities before deciding to go this route.

You can look on the provincial website to help find qualified commissioners in the area your wedding is taking place if you are unsure where to start your search.

The best place to ask questions is at your local registry if you are even unsure where to start!