How to get married in Ontario - Step Three
You are married. The Officiant took your licence. What is next?
Make sure that after your Officiant has mailed your licence that you make a request to Service Ontario to obtain a marriage certificate. A marriage certificate is a document which validates that the marriage occurred. It is not the same as the marriage license which you obtained before getting married, and is also not the same as the Record of Solemnization of Marriage, which the Officiant who married you and your partner may have given you. (That is really just a souvenir!)
The Officiant who married you must forward the marriage license to the Office of the Registrar General within 48 hours of the marriage. Your marriage will be registered in Thunder Bay up to ten weeks after the wedding, but this can be longer in the summer months.
Only after your marriage has been registered can you obtain a marriage certificate. Order a certificate online. You’ll need to include when and where you got married, as well as your and your partner’s names.
It takes about 20 minutes to fill out the marriage certificate application online and it will kick you out if you take too long.
Photo Credit: Michelle Quance
