Information
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Should you have any special requests for your ceremony I would be pleased to discuss these with you.
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I strive to design a ceremony that is unique for each couple and present a printed booklet to them after the ceremony. It is my suggestion that they read their ceremony every anniversary, at the very least, to help remember the love they are celebrating and the path that led them to each other.
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Happy marriages carried out in Alberta are valid throughout the world. Blood tests and waiting periods are not required for marriage in Alberta. Two witnesses of at least 18 years of age are required for the ceremony. It is not necessary that the witnesses have prior knowledge of the couple being married. Both the bride and groom must be at least 18 years of age, or possess the necessary written consent. Marriage ceremonies may be performed with the aid of an interpreter if the bride or groom do not understand English.
Prior to being married, couples must obtain an Alberta Marriage License from a Registry Office in the Province of Alberta. It is valid for 3 months from the date of issue.
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To obtain the license both the bride and the groom must present themselves and submit the following documents:
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- Proof of identification (Driver License, passport, birth certificate)
- Full Name of father and birthplace of father.
- Maiden and full name of mother and birthplace of mother
- If divorced; Final Divorce Papers
The marriage license is turned over to the person conducting the marriage ceremony and is not returned. A Marriage Statement (certificate) is provided at completion of the wedding ceremony but this is not a registered document. To obtain the official registered Certificate of Marriage it is necessary to apply to the Alberta Vital Statistics Registry. The appropriate form can also be obtained at any registry office.
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If the documentation is in order, it is possible to obtain a marriage license and be married on the same day.
Under Alberta law, a couple can choose to be married at any site by an Alberta Marriage Commissioner. Once you have obtained the appropriate permissions at the site, all the law requires is that the site seat five people - the couple, two witnesses and your Alberta Marriage Commissioner. Be it a mountain meadow or mom's backyard, a chapel or a hot air balloon, you are entirely free to express yourselves by marrying with a commissioner.
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Note: In Alberta, the person who performs a civil marriage ceremony is called a Marriage Commissioner. In other parts of the world he or she may be called a Celebrant, a Justice of the Peace, a JP, or an Officiant. Religious ceremonies are performed by ministers, priests, rabbis, or some other clergy. Marriage Commissioners are appointed by the Alberta Government, but are not salaried employees and are not subsidized..
