Why & How to Get Married in Vancouver?
Vancity Officiant- Jun 19, 2018
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 19, 2024
WHY GETTING MARRIED IN VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA?
Of course you can elope anywhere in the world, pretty much. But not all countries allow you to get married anywhere you want. Some countries can only let you elope in the City Hall or the Courthouse.
In Vancouver, not only you can have your wedding ceremony at your dream venue, if you love the nature, you can experience the beauty of four seasons in here: spring cherry blossoms a.k.a. sakura, summer beaches & blue sky, fall foliage and picturesque winter landscapes. Our province is surrounded by soaring ancient trees, snowcapped mountain tops, rustic barns, vineyards, and clear lakes. The nature is truly a gift from above, people from all over the world are coming to Vancouver to adventure and get married at the same time.
HOW TO GET MARRIED IN VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA?
Due to Covid-19, rules have changed for getting married in many regions in Greater Vancouver area. For example for City of Vancouver, now you need a wedding ceremony permit even you have a small number of guests. This is new since 2020, as before you didn't need a permit with a small number of guests and no seating. You can read more information here: https://vancouver.ca/doing-business/park-wedding-permit.aspx.
Rules maybe different for other regions in Greater Vancouver, you can contact the City to get the most updated info.
Apply for Marriage Licence:
Get your license anywhere in British Columbia for a fee one of the locations listed here. It’s only valid for 3 months, so don't pick it up too early. They only need one of you to be present at time of application, but make sure to bring ID for both of you, for example, passport or birth certificate.
Hire a Marriage Commissioner or an Officiant:
Either a marriage commissioner of a wedding officiant can legalize your marriage in Vancouver, BC. Marriage commissioners are registered under Vital Statistics BC, they are semi-retired or retired and appointed by the province. They can only perform civil ceremonies. Marriage Officiants like Pastors or Priests can perform religious ceremonies or Celebrants like us can perform interfaith, intercultural ceremonies with personalized and creative elements.
Pick the Ceremony Location:
Literally you can get hitched ANYWHERE in British Columbia. You can go with the traditional way, book a chapel or a venue to walk down the aisle; you may also hire an Officiant to perform a cozy home ceremony; if you want to be adventurous, you can absolutely fly high by taking the helicopter to say I do on the mountaintop. You can pick to have a unique ceremony in the way you want. Check out our service to see what suits you the best!
Of course, it is very important to ask for the cost of renting a location in case there is a fee involved.
Witnesses:
BC law requires the presence of two witnesses attending in order for legalize a marriage. They will have to sign the necessary documents. You can choose 2 of your attending guests to be your witness. However when that’s not the case, you can ask us to arrange the witnesses for you, or if you hire a planner and photographer, they can be your witness, too!
When everything is set, whether you are getting married locally or travel to Vancouver to get hitched, make sure to have fun! It is going to be your special moment to celebrate, the lifetime commitment and a ceremony just for you two. Just focus on what makes you happy and memorable.
Excited to get married in Vancouver? Contact us to say yes to the journey of marriage!
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