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Getting married is a two-step process, which includes:
- First, applying for and making an appointment to get your marriage licence.
- Second, to have a marriage ceremony within 90 days of getting your marriage licence. A marriage ceremony includes the marriage licence document, a registered officiant, and at least two witnesses.
Marriage ceremonies are a limited, part-time service offered at the City of Guelph which take place on most Fridays at 1:30 p.m., 2:15 p.m. and 3 p.m. We cannot guarantee desired dates and times for marriage ceremonies.
Should you need marriage officiant services that the City of Guelph cannot accommodate, consider the following to find a marriage officiant:
- Consult websites and reach out to other municipalities in Ontario
- Reference the Service Ontario guide of registered religious officiants in the Province of Ontario
Informal, spiritual, or symbolic marriage ceremonies
The Marriage Act contains subsection 31, “Marriages solemnized in Good Faith.” This means marriage officiants cannot perform a legal marriage ceremony after another ceremony. This includes an informal, spiritual, or symbolic ceremony, e.g. destination wedding, or a ceremony performed by an unregistered officiant. (This is not applicable to previous marriages that have ended through divorce/annulment/death).
Couples will need to get legal advice from a family lawyer. The family lawyer can assist with getting the marriage ceremony you already had validated through the courts.
Contact us to schedule your marriage ceremony
Please fill out this intake application form to begin the process for booking your marriage ceremony. The marriage officiant will respond within 2 business days after you have submitted your application.
For questions or concerns related to booking your marriage ceremony please contact 519-822-1260 extension 5650 or [email protected].
Civil marriage ceremony fees
The total fee for a marriage ceremony is $300 plus tax. To secure your booking you must contribute the first $50 plus tax, as a deposit within 5 business days after your booking has been made with the officiant.
Cancellations or rescheduling of appointments with less than 3 weeks’ notice of scheduled appointment will forfeit the $50 deposit fee.
Getting married at Guelph City Hall
Civil marriage ceremonies are being provided for couples who are looking for a small, simple, non-religious ceremony at City Hall.
About the ceremony:
- The ceremony appointment is 30 minutes long
- Couple must provide two witnesses
- Translation needs: If you do not speak English or require language assistance, you must provide an interpreter for the ceremony. The interpreter cannot be one of the witnesses or a member of the couple getting married.
- Up to twenty (20) people may attend a ceremony.
Getting married at a different time or place
We no longer perform ceremonies outside of Guelph City Hall.
Reference the Service Ontario guide of registered religious officiants in the Province of Ontario.