As you begin to plan your wedding, you may think that it is a fun idea to have a friend or close family member officiate your wedding. Now, depending on where you live in Canada, this may be possible, however, if you live in Ontario, one must be legally allowed to officiate weddings. In order for that to happen, this individual must be:
- A Judge or Justice of the Peace
- A City clerk employee who is able to conduct city hall weddings
- A priest, rabbi, or other clergy members in good standing to officiate weddings
None of the above? You may need to opt for an alternative solution. Here are some ways that your friend or family member can participate and you will still be legally married.
Option #1: Have two ceremonies:
If you really want to have a friend officiate your wedding, you can opt to have a legal ceremony first and then your full ceremony with your friend on your wedding day. The only things you will need for this ceremony are a marriage license and two witnesses.
Photo Courtesy of Lindsie Grey
Option #2: Have an officiant oversee the proceedings:
Some officiants will allow your friend or family member to ‘officiate’ the wedding with their oversight. They will need to step in for the legal part of the ceremony, but the more sentimental parts can be conducted by your friend or family member.
Option #3: Have your friend become ordained:
While it is tricky and fairly costly– it is possible for laypeople to become ordained as clergy in Ontario. The Humanist Association offers non-denominational officiant training for those wishing to become ordained. However, the training is costly and time-consuming– taking over a year to complete. Consider this option carefully.
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If your friend says yes– celebrate! Your ceremony will be unique and incredibly meaningful. However, since they are relatively inexperienced– do them a favour by setting them up for success:
- Write a ceremony script that includes important points and any legal requirements needed for a wedding ceremony.
- Give them a dress code: a black business suit works well to make sure they look good without overpowering you or your wedding party.
- Provide a microphone
- Practice.
Remember, that having a friend or close family member officiate your wedding seems like a really great idea, but can be costly and time-consuming. So, don’t be offended if your friend says ‘thanks, but respectfully, no’. You can still find a meaningful way to involve them in your day.
Can a father who is an officiant in Ontario marry his daughter
Yes, my dad (a Baptist minister) officiated my sister’s wedding.
Sounds like incest!
😀
The Humanist Association, as referenced above does not believe that any marriage outside of Man and woman is sanctity to be performed by one of their ordained clergy. so off to the United Church i go to see whether their have an ordination process as well.
despite the 2 couples who have asked me to officiate being cis hetero couples, i would not want to be ordained with any ministry that would prohibit me performing any marriage covenant between any two informed and committed adults.
Bye Felicia!!!
All humanist officiants perform same-sex marriages.
Yikes. Whoever told you that is misinformed. Quite the opposite – the Humanist Association of Canada has always supported same-sex marriages, and was involved in the legalization of this in the early 2000s. Humanist ceremonies are inclusive and welcoming to all couples, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Humanist officiants all perform marriage between any two informed and committed adults and this freedom is one of the core tenets of humanism.
my son is looking at getting married and would like a family friend, who is from the United States and a licensed minister there, conduct the wedding ceremony. What would need to be done and possible costs involved please
you can only be legally married by on licensed Ontario wedding officiant, the cost is approx, $400
the family friend can step in and conduct the non-legal aspects of the ceremony,
my husbands cousin from the US preformed our wedding. we just had to have a minister there to over see the wedding and sign the paper work. we did an eloping package in Niagara Falls
Why must Canada always make you jump through loops and make it so expensive to do anything? Seriously! So unless you are in an organized cult, like Catholics and such, you can perform a wedding. Have we not proved there is no such thing as god and all that crap? Also, organized cults should have no place in politics. Although I do see why they are, as like politicians they all lie and bury their dirty secrets.
“organized cult, like Catholics”… Why did you specify Catholics? Why don’t you say the same about Judaism or Islam and see how well your bigotry flies.
Spot on about Canada making you jump through hoops.
I want my cousin to ordain my marriage how do i go through with it what would he need
Your marriage is NOT “ordained”. If you want your cousin to conduct a marriage ceremony, it’s possible for that to be done, if he/she is a licensed wedding officiant with the Province of Ontario. If this is not the case, hire a licensed wedding officiant, & that person will guide your cousin through what she/he is permitted to do. As for the legal aspects of the ceremony…the licensed wedding officiant will do that part.
I am a Nova Scotia Administrative Justice of the Peace and officiates NS weddings. I have a close friend who has moved to Ontario and would like for me to officiate for her. Is there a process I can be appointed in Ontario for one ceremony ?
No, sorry, you can oly officiate in the province you are recognized. There is no “accross-Canada” recognition.
You can get a temporary license through Ontario if you are licensed elsewhere. Contact Ontario.ca
I would like to be able to officiate weddings , how do I start the research. I am a layperson.
you must belong to a religious organization and it takes time, months, and sometimes a few years.
Hello, a member of my family asked me to officiate a wedding. I’m an Ontario resident, they’re in Manitoba, and getting married in Manitoba too. Does this information still apply? Thanks in advance.
I am a Minister of the Universal Life Church Monastery since 2016. I am allowed to perform a civil wedding in Ontario, CA?
I’m wondering the same thing…..
Marriage in Canada is governed individually by the government of each Province. So you need to be recognized specifically by the province authorities, which is not the case about ULCM, despite their claims.
this was my response from them i have been with them since 2014
Thanks for your question. There are thousands of ministers ordained by the ULC in Canada performing a wide range of activities in their Ecclesiastical capacity every day! Unfortunately, the Canadian government currently does not universally recognize all of our ordained ministers in a legal capacity. That means that if you are planning on officiating a wedding, your authority to do so may not be formally recognized by every marriage licensing authority in Canada. I always encourage ministers in your situation to first contact these offices to verify whether you will be permitted to solemnize a legal wedding.
Fortunately, Canadian ministers are likely able to use their ordination to solemnize weddings in the United States! Because most American states and counties have no residency requirements for wedding officiants, Canadian citizens are free to perform legally-recognized wedding ceremonies in most areas of the U.S.
If you were hoping to solemnize a Canadian wedding in the near future and this news comes as a surprise, you might explore the option of the couple having their legal marriage ceremony solemnized by an official in a local municipal office, and performing a separate, purely ceremonial wedding for their friends and family as a ULC minister. If this option is appealing to you, you might enjoy exploring our innovative online wedding script generator to help craft the perfect ceremony!
Dear Sonia Reynolds,
Thank you for the information. You may want to edit the first paragraph of the introduction to this page/site. I assume you wanted “happen” instead of “happy”.
Sincerely,
Bob
Thanks Bob!