So you are ready to tir the knot in Vancouver, but you need to find someone to conduct your ceremony. In Canada you can have either a civil marriage conducted by a licensed Marriage Commissioner or you can have a religious wedding. We had a civil wedding, so I will provide some insight on that first.
The best way to find someone is by word of mouth. Our commissioner was Ann Moore, and I couldn’t think of a more caring individual. Steven was very nervous due to language issues, and she helped us through the ceremony. You can browse the entire list of marriage commissioners if Ann is unavailable.
Once you have contacted the commissioner you should ask about the following information:
- Dates and availability
- Fees
- Location
- Number of guests
- Clothing
- The ceremony (sample ceremony)
We had a very simple ceremony with only two friends attending (the minimum required) in a small house wearing casual attire.
12 responses so far ↓
Carmelita Dietruch // December 24, 2006 at 05:43
Hi,
My fiancé and I would like to get married in Vancouver on Dec. 27th and we are checking on your availability then. I know it’s short notice but we are hoping someone would be able to help, or recommend someone who will be able to help?
Thanks much.
Carmelita Dietrich
James // December 26, 2006 at 10:05
If you are getting married by the marriage commissioner I mentioned, she has a list of B&Bs that are available. There are so many hotels in Vancouver though. Bring your laptop and stay one place for a day and move on to something nicer once you are in the city.
I don\’t know your price range, but I tend to lean towards 4-5 star accommodations.
yvette // September 29, 2007 at 14:26
ok, my fiance and me want to get married, we live in vancouver, we dont need a big ceremony just the papers were to sign. we want to doit next week, some body know were i need to go and how much is this cost? thanks so much/
carolina // October 10, 2007 at 07:02
hi Im mexican and my fiance is canadian , we want to get married in vegas in new year , I want to know if las vegas marriage is legal in canada ?
James // October 10, 2007 at 11:33
The cost of the wedding is around 300 CDN. $100 for the license, $100 for the ceremony, and a $50+ tip for the marriage commissioner. Your ceremony can occur almost anywhere, even on a beach (weather permitting).
James // October 10, 2007 at 11:37
Hi Carolina,
(Please note that I am not a lawyer.)
If you will have a same-sex wedding, I suggest you have it in Canada. Under all other cases the US has a treaty with Canada and Canada will recognize your relationship status regardless of the US state where you were married.
Eugenia // March 31, 2008 at 07:28
We will be sailing with Royal Caribbean on June 7tha from Vancouver and wish to get married on the ship. Could you please supply me with information we will need to obtain a marriage license?
Allison Gallant // April 29, 2008 at 01:59
Wondering if you could direct me on where to get a list of marriage commissioners in the Vancouver/Surrey area. We want something really small around six people!
Thanx
Carla Ferguson // May 3, 2008 at 01:29
Hi, I am looking for a list of marriage commissioners in the vancouver westend. We want to get married on 3rd beach at sunset. Just us and witnesses. Thanks Carla
James // May 8, 2008 at 16:28
For the two people posting concerning Marriage Commissioners, I can only speak for Ann, our marriage commissioner. She was wonderful and caring, however you can visit this web site: http://www.vs.gov.bc.ca/cgi-bin/vs_search_internet.cgi?VSS_TABLE=TDatMrgCom.txt to find someone else.
Good luck and congratulations on your wedding!
Tom // May 27, 2008 at 19:14
How easy is it for a British couple to get married in Vancouver when they are only over on holiday?
James // June 10, 2008 at 12:16
Hey Tom, here is my advice:
1) Find a commissioner before you arrive.
2) Plan on reserving at least two work days (M-F) for filling out the forms, etc.
Everything else is really simple. Good luck!
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