WHITEWATER REGION — The Township of Whitewater Region does not issue licenses. Couples may have a civil wedding ceremony performed by the Town Clerk.
Prior to a wedding ceremony, a meeting with the Clerk is a requirement in order to ensure an understanding of the ceremony by both participants. A meeting with the Clerk may be arranged in advance by the scheduling of an appointment. Scheduling of a civil marriage in Council Chambers must be made with the Clerk or designate at least two weeks prior to the intended date for the ceremony. Ceremonies can be performed, Monday to Friday, during regular office hours. Please note dates and times for a wedding ceremony are limited, due to other work related commitments by the Town Clerk.
The cost of a wedding ceremony is currently $200, payable in advance to the Township of Whitewater Region. A $100 non-refundable deposit is required at the time of scheduling. For an appointment or for further information, please contact Clerk Carmen Miller at [email protected] or by phone at 613-646-2282.
Age Minimum
You need to be at least 16 years old to get married in Ontario. If you are under 18 years old, you will need written consent from both of your parents. You can get consent forms where you get a marriage licence.
Types Of Marriage
To ensure your marriage is performed properly and legally, an authorized official needs to marry you. There are two types of marriage ceremonies performed in Ontario.
Religious marriage is when a recognized religious official marries you. Check the religious marriage officiants list to ensure that the officiant you are interested in hiring is authorized to perform a marriage in Ontario.
Civil marriage is when a judge, justice of the peace or authorized municipal clerk marries you, often at a local municipal office or city hall.
Forms You Need Before You Marry
Before you get married, you need either a marriage licence or a banns form that you get from a church when you publicly announce your commitment during a divine service. A church publishes this declaration, called “the publication of banns”. Banns cannot be published if you or your spouse has been married before. You will need to get a marriage licence. You, your spouse, witnesses and the person who performed the marriage will need to sign the licence or banns immediately after the ceremony.
How To Get A Marriage Licence
To get a marriage licence, you will need to bring two pieces of government-issued identification for each person getting married. One piece of identification must include your photo. You will be required to pay a fee, which vary and depend on the municipality.
Examples of government-issued identification are a government-issued birth certificate, including any change of name certificates; a valid passport; record of immigrant landing; Canadian Citizenship Card; a valid driver’s licence; or a valid Ontario Photo Card. Please check the municipality’s website to ensure you have all of the information required to purchase a marriage licence. A marriage licence is valid for 90 days from the date it was issued.
Get A Marriage Certificate
A marriage certificate is the legal record of a marriage. It lists the date and place of the marriage, and names of the people who were married. You need this document to show legal proof you are married, apply for certain social benefits, settle an estate, or change a last name.
A Record of Solemnization of Marriage is not the same thing as a marriage certificate. Before you can get a marriage certificate, a marriage needs to be registered. The official who performed the marriage will do this by sending a complete and signed marriage licence to ServiceOntario.
Change My Last Name
When you get married, you don’t have to legally change your last name [surname]. If you choose to legally change your last name, you can do so through ServiceOntario.
Divorced in Canada
You will need to bring official proof of the divorce with you when you apply for a marriage licence. This can be the original or a court-certified copy of one of three documents. These documents include the final decree, the final judgment, or a certificate of divorce.
Out-Of-Country Divorces
If you were divorced outside of Canada, you will need to provide certain documents to prove that you are no longer married. The government needs to validate these documents. This process can take up to four weeks.
You will need to send the following documents to ServiceOntario: marriage licence application form, completed and signed; statement of sole responsibility, for each divorce (signed by both people who are planning to get married and a witness); legal opinion letter, from an Ontario lawyer, addressed to both people who plan to get married, giving reasons why the divorce or annulment should be recognized in Ontario; and divorce decree or annulment, an original or court-certified copy in English or French. If the decree is in another language, you will need to include a translated copy and an affidavit sworn by a certified translator.
Completed Foreign Divorce Authorizations are sent to applicants by courier. It is important your full mailing address including suite/unit/apartment and buzzer number is included on the marriage licence application form, or the courier package cannot be delivered and returned to ServiceOntario.
These documents can be mailed to ServiceOntario’s Marriage Office at P.O. Box 4600, 189 Red River Rd., Thunder Bay, Ont., P7B 6L8. You can also contact the Township office to have a sample legal opinion letter faxed to your lawyer. More information is available by calling toll-free at 1-800-461-2156.
