Getting married in Canada: Tips and ideas for destinations

What are the requirements to get married in Canada?

To be able to legally marry on Canadian soil, future spouses must meet certain conditions imposed by local authorities. Thus, the latter must:

• Be at least 16 years old at the time of their union

• Be free from all marital ties, that is to say that neither of them must be married to another person

• Be consenting (people who are unable to exercise judgment due to illness, physical incapacity or psychological problem are not considered as such)

• Be free from family ties or consanguinity ties

Coming back to the issue of consent, a marriage can be annulled if one of the contracting parties has been misled. This is the case when there is an error on:

• The person or identity of the husband/wife (person who claims to be a widow even though he or she is divorced, an individual with a violent nature or with a serious criminal record, etc.)

• The true qualities and character traits of the husband/wife (lying about their life, marrying with bad intentions, fabricating evidence, etc.)

• The real reasons for the union (sham marriage, extortion of funds, breach of trust, marriage with a view to obtaining papers, etc.)

What documents are required to get married in Canada?

The documents required and procedures to follow to legally marry in Canada may vary from one region to another. It is therefore important to find out about the requirements of each locality. However, generally speaking, the documents requested are those mentioned in the following sections.

Before marriage

Foreign nationals who wish to marry in Canada must first obtain a marriage license before proceeding. This process is generally done with a municipal office or the town hall of the locality where they are going to unite. The documents to be provided to the authorities in order to obtain it are:

• A valid passport

• A document attesting to the legal right of establishment of the two future spouses on Canadian soil, unless they are permanent residents

• A birth certificate

• A national identity card

• Proof of civil status

Please note that all requested documents must be original and from the applicants' countries of birth or residence. The marriage license can be obtained in one day and will be valid for 90 days unless otherwise noted. The ceremony must therefore be carried out within this time and this document must be given to the officiant in charge of the marriage when the time comes.

After marriage

Once married, the new couple will have to submit a request for a marriage certificate to validate their union. For this, the officiant who assisted them will have to forward their marriage license to the Office of the Registrar General for registration and registration. The process will last approximately 10 weeks after which the young brides will be able to begin their procedures.

The request for a marriage certificate in Canada must be made within one year after the ceremony or risk paying additional fees. This can be done online, by mail, by fax or in person.

What are the steps to follow to organize your wedding in Canada?

From a legal and administrative point of view, the organization and celebration of a wedding on Canadian territory goes through 4 stages:

The search for a celebrant or an officiant: the latter can be religious (priest, rabbi, imam, etc.) or civil (a judge, a clerk, a mayor, etc.). In all cases, the officiant must be officially authorized to celebrate marriages and must be registered in the civil registry office of the province or region of celebration.

Obtaining a marriage license: this document certifies that the future bride and groom meet the laws, conditions and requirements of the Canadian authorities as part of the celebration of their union. It must contain the names of the spouses, their address, the location of the ceremony as well as the name of the officiant.

The celebration of the union itself: this must be done after obtaining the marriage license and before its expiration. The ceremony must also be attended by two witnesses who, along with the spouses and the officiant, will affix their signatures to the marriage registration form as well as to the license.

Marriage registration: it is generally the officiant who takes care of the registration with the civil status office. As soon as this is done, the bride and groom will be able to initiate the procedures to obtain their marriage certificate.

The marriage certificate obtained by the spouses within the framework of their union has international value. Therefore, if they wish to remarry in another country with another person, they must initiate divorce proceedings and be legally separated.

Is it possible to get married in Canada on a visitor visa?

People who are passing through Canada (including tourists, temporary workers, students, etc.) are perfectly able to get married on Canadian territory provided they meet the requirements imposed by each region. This applies both if both spouses come from foreign countries and if one of them is a citizen or permanent resident of Canada.

Getting married in Canada: some ideas for key destinations

Couples who decide to get married in Canada generally go there for the magical landscape that this country has to offer. The maple country actually offers some of the most beautiful places for this type of celebration. Moreover, we find something for all tastes, whether for a traditional ceremony, in a country style or even for travel lovers.

Thus, among the best destinations to get married in Canada, it is possible to cite the provinces of Quebec, British Columbia and Ontario. In addition to requiring very little administrative procedures, these territories are home to unique venues and monuments specially designed (for the most part) to host weddings. In the case of Quebec, it is possible to cite the unmissable Château Frontenac (which is now managed by Fairmont), the Hôtel de Glace in Saint-Gabriel-De-Valcartier, the National Museum of Fine Arts or even the Seigneurie from the island of Orléans.

In the case of Ontario, the examples are incredibly numerous. However, among the key destinations, we find:

Casa Loma (Toronto)

The Eglinton Grand cinema (Toronto)

The Twist Gallery (Toronto)

The Bellamy Loft (Toronto)

Berkeley Events (Toronto)

The Ravine Vineyard (St. David's)

Finally, British Columbia is also home to equally wonderful locations for celebrating a wedding. This is particularly the case for the Oak Bay Beach Hotel in Victoria and the Rocky Mountaineer Station in Vancouver.