How to arrange a simple legal non-religious 'civil' wedding in Toronto ('micro wedding')

We offer simple 'civil' legal wedding ceremonies:  non-religious & non-denominational, (similar to a 'City Hall' or 'Justice of the Peace' wedding) including elopements, private ceremonies, legal ceremonies for destination weddings, (aka  'micro-wedding', 'signings' or 'registration of a marriage') and friendly family & community-style weddings.  I make house calls! You may have a wedding at your home, apartment, in a park, hotel, restaurant, or other location of choice. Or hot air balloon.

Questions big or small? Use this [ENQUIRY FORM] and I'll write back! I will also send a sample contract and a fee scale. Fees are simple, and based on the size of the wedding, and include transportation and office fees. See FAQ and main website for more information for both small and larger events.

Mary is licensed as a Marriage Officiant ("wedding Celebrant") by the Registrar General of Ontario, and the Ontario Humanist Society and has performed over 1500 civil weddings. I am currently the Secular Humanist Chaplain at the University of Toronto  

HUMANISM is an ethical philosophy of secular living, stating we all share a duty of care to each other, to lead ethical lives of compassion and respect, for other people, and the world we all share. Humanist Wedding Ceremonies are simple, meaningful, non-religious legal marriage ceremonies, which reflect your wishes, your values, and your story. We also provide ceremonies for baby-namings, memorials, and other life events. 

NOTE: If you are viewing the MOBILE version of this blog, there's lots more info in the desktop version. There's a 'web version' link at the foot of the first page of posts, or view on your laptop.

How to 'Register' the legal Paperwork for a separate non-legal wedding ceremony (spiritual, religious or destination wedding)

Many people are planning destination weddings, or they've  been contacting us to 'register' their other wedding, or to 'complete the paperwork' for Ontario.

Remember, a legal wedding requires an actual verbal CEREMONY, not just a 'signing' of documents. FIRST: you must apply for and pick up your LEGAL MARRIAGE LICENSE. Once you have your legal marriage license, you must still hold a short verbal ceremony conducted by a legal officiant properly licensed in Ontario, in front of two witnesses.  The ceremony is brief, and includes statements by both of you that there is no reason you can't be married, and you have to repeat the official government vows to each other. The officiant must 'pronounce' you to be legally married in front of your witnesses.  The 'signing' part comes after this, and is simply recording that this legal ceremony occurred.

A legally licensed officiant will either blend the required legal sections into a traditional ceremony, or conduct this legal part before the other celebration.

After this short ceremony, your licensed officiant will forward your license to the Registrar General to complete the Registration of your change of legal status as a married couple.

Here's our FAQ on this process and the parts of a legal wedding.

"Signing the Papers", "Registering a wedding", "No ceremony", Here are the facts.

There has been a new flurry of new people asking us to "just sign the papers", "we don't want a ceremony, we just want you to 'register' the wedding" so we can get our "marriage certificate'.  "We're having (or we 'had') another wedding, so we need someone to 'register' the marriage, without a ceremony".  "Our (friend/relative/non-licensed  officiant) is going to marry us, can you please come and sign the papers".

I've written about this for 10 years, but I suppose we can't say this too often:  The Marriage Act of Ontario requires a SPECIFIC SPOKEN LEGAL CEREMONY to be held in front of witnesses, conducted by a LICENSED officiant, to make your marriage legal.  It is not the 'signing of papers', it is this specific VERBAL CEREMONY that makes the marriage acceptable by law.  The 'signing' or 'registering' is simply filling out the papers after the ceremony to PROVE to the Government, and the Registrar General, that the proper VERBAL LEGAL CEREMONY happened in front of witnesses.

If you are being married by a properly registered Religious officiant, they will include the legal parts of the ceremony with your spiritual ceremony.  If your religious or traditional officiant is not licensed by the Registrar General of Ontario to conduct official weddings,  you must find a LICENSED officiant to conduct a legal ceremony, or you are not officially married.

If anyone is offering to just 'sign the papers' for you - that is against the law. Or if anyone offers to simply 'sign the papers' for a non-licensed officiant, that is also illegal.

The required verbal ceremony is short, and follows the requirements of the Marriage Act of Ontario.  You must EACH speak the declarations, saying who you are, and that there is no impediment to your being legally married today, and then you must repeat the legal vows to each other, and the Officiant must properly pronounce you to be married.  The witnesses are signing the 'papers' afterwards, to show that they saw and heard you do and say these things.

You can add lots of other things to a legal ceremony - personal vows, readings, music, rings, cultural ceremonies  - but you CANNOT OMIT the sections required by the Marriage Act.

Please see:
Elements of a Simple Legal Marriage
Can my Sister, Dad, Uncle, Friend Marry US?
Posts about "Signing the Papers", Legal Marriage

Civil Weddings in Italy - my vacation shot

Just returned from our (45th) wedding anniversary trip to Venice and Verona (hurrah!) I did some touring of Civil Marriage chambers - include this wonderful Municipal wedding room in Verona, near 'Juliet's tomb' (which isn't 'hers', of course). I love renaissance domestic frescoes - what a pretty place for a wedding!