Everything you need to know about wedding licences, witnesses, and officiants — made simple by The Marrying Lady.

 

1. What does an Ontario wedding officiant do?
A wedding officiant, also called a celebrant in some countries, legally performs your marriage ceremony, signs your marriage licence, assists with getting your proof of marriage (marriage certificate) and helps you create a ceremony that reflects who you are as a couple. They guide you through everything — from your vows to legally filing your marriage licence and getting your certificate — making it simple, personal, and stress-free.

​

2. How much does it cost to hire a wedding officiant in Ontario?
Rates vary based on location and ceremony type, but most couples spend between $220–$1100. Fees can include tax, travel, rehearsals, and parking. Experienced officiants may charge more, but they bring valuable knowledge, coaching, and confidence to your wedding day, because they know the venues, the vendors, how to expedite getting your certificate and have the skills to manage issues.

​

3, What’s the difference between an officiant and a justice of the peace or City Hall wedding?
A Justice of the Peace performs standard civil ceremonies at City Hall. They are very dry and boring. A licensed officiant, like The Marrying Lady, offers personalized ceremonies, flexible locations and times, and a ceremony that tells your story — often for less cost and far more meaning. Also, some city halls rent out the room, but you will still need to hire an Officiant to perform and legalize the wedding.

 

4. Does the officiant handle all the legal paperwork?
Mostly! You must first get your marriage licence from City Hall and bring it to the officiant. After your ceremony, your officiant files it with the province and explains how to order your marriage certificate — and what to do if it’s delayed.

 

5. How do we get our marriage licence in Ontario?
Apply at any City Hall or municipal office. You’ll need two pieces of ID (photo ID and proof of name/date of birth), pay a fee, and the licence is valid for 3 months. Costs vary by city, so shop around. Your officiant can double-check your paperwork for accuracy. You will leave with the licence on the same day as your appointment. Also, some City Hall Deputy Issuers give out old, dated information, so bring any instructions they give you to your Officiant to ensure they are correct.

​

6. When we leave City Hall with the marriage licence, are we married?
Not yet! You need a licensed Ontario wedding officiant and two witnesses to solemnize and sign the licence. The City Hall visit simply gives you the legal document — the wedding makes it official.

 

7. What if there’s an error on our Ontario marriage licence?
Don’t send it to the Office of the Registrar General. Return it to the same City Hall or Deputy Issuer who issued it to correct major errors (like names or birthdates). Fixing it this way is faster and cheaper. And, whatever you do - do NOT cross anything out or use whiteout to cover the error up.

 

8. My age changed since I got my licence — is that a problem?
No problem! Your licence lists your age when you picked it up. Your birthdate on the licence is what matters for legal purposes.

​

9. Our wedding date changed — is the licence still valid?
Yes, as long as your new date is still within 90 days of when you picked up the licence. Otherwise, you’ll need a new one.

 

10. Can a friend officiate our Ontario wedding?
Not legally. Only officiants registered with the province can solemnize marriages. Your friend can co-officiate or lead a symbolic ceremony, while a licensed officiant handles the legal signing.

 

11. Can an officiant perform a ceremony without a marriage licence?
Not a legal one. They can perform a symbolic or commitment ceremony, but if the ceremony gives the impression of being legal, it may be considered binding under the Marriage Act.

 

12. Can our officiant backdate our marriage licence to match when our friend performed the ceremony?
No. The officiant must record the actual date the legal signing occurs. Entering a false date is illegal.

 

13. How many witnesses do we need in Ontario?
Two witnesses (usually 16 or older) must sign your licence. You can’t have more than two, but if you don’t have any, most officiants can provide witnesses for a small fee.

 

14. Can my witnesses be from outside Canada?
Yes! Your witnesses can be from anywhere, as long as they understand what they’re signing. If needed, you can use an interpreter.

 

15. When should we book our officiant?
Book 7–12 months ahead for peak seasons (spring/fall). Wedding calendars suggest 6 months in advance, but then you are competing with other couples for the same date. The best officiants often book up to two years in advance. 

 

16. Do officiants arrange venues or other vendors?
Not typically — Officiants work with hundreds of amazing venues, planners, and photographers across Ontario, but they are not aware of pricing, contracts, and the specific services of other wedding vendors. Planners will provide recommendations that fit your style and budget.

 

17. Is there really such a thing as an “award-winning officiant” in Ontario?
No — there’s no official provincial or industry award system for officiants. Most “award-winning” titles come from paid wedding listing sites. Look instead for genuine reviews and trusted listings like Three Best Rated, which evaluates officiants based on verified quality and service.

​

18. If we had or are planning to have our symbolic wedding ceremony abroad, how do we get legally married in Ontario?

You will need to go to City Hall to get your licence, find a Wedding Officiant, bring two witnesses, and the Officiant can sign the legal marriage paperwork. However, when you go to City Hall to get the licence, do NOT tell the Deputy Issuer that you already had a wedding ceremony. Many Deputy Issuers have misinterpreted the Marriage Act and believe that they cannot issue a licence to you. If you encounter this nonsense, just go to another municipality and keep quiet about it.

​

19. How can I tell if my Wedding Officiant is licenced in Ontario?

Ontario Officiants will not give you their licence number, but you can find them on the Ontario dataset of Registered Marriage Officiants. We do not give our our licence number because of fraudsters like Paul Cogan.

​

20. What do I need an Ontario Marriage Certificate for?

You can order an Ontario Marriage Certificate after your wedding as proof that your marriage was registered by the Ontario Government. This is often used for healthcare/pension benefits for your spouse at work, required when working abroad (or as an immigrant in Canada) for your spouse to join you, foreign adoptions, Catholic Weddings abroad, lowers taxes when purchasing a house - if your spouse is not born in Canada, etc.

​

21. How do I get married if my spouse has had a divorce outside of Canada?

Buckle up and prepare to expect delays in getting your marriage licence because you will have to go through 4 big steps to obtain authorization from the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery. This process can take a min of 5 weeks.

1. You need a completed marriage licence application form signed by both applicants. Download the pdf once completed and resize it in the printer settings to fit onto letter sized paper. (Pick any Municipality, you can always change where you decide to go after you get authorization.)

2. You need your original Court certified copy of the divorce decree or annulment and if it's in any language other than English or French you need it translated with an affidavit sworn by a translator. 3. You need a Statement of Sole Responsibility for each divorcee signed by both applicants and witness. To download it, the pdf requires Adobe Reader 8 or higher. It will take 4 weeks for the Ontario Government to mail a hard copy to you. Or, go to your MPP representative and ask them to print you a copy (perhaps this will encourage them to make downloading it more accessible!)

4. You need a legal opinion of an Ontario lawyer, address to both applicants, stating that the divorce would be recognized as valid in the province of Ontario.

For all of this you can get help by calling the office of the register General at 807-343-7492 or toll free in Ontario by calling 1-800-461-2156 

​