ABOUT
VANCITY OFFICIANT
Vancity Officiant is a Vancouver-based wedding officiant team founded by Kevin Leung and Kit Chan.
Since 2014, we have officiated more than 2,100 weddings across British Columbia, helping couples create ceremonies that feel personal, clear, and grounded in real connection.
Our work includes legal signing ceremonies, intimate weddings, multicultural weddings, trilingual ceremonies, and pet-inclusive celebrations through our Pawfect Witness™ initiative.
To learn more about the approach behind our work, visit our Ceremony Philosophy page.
Kevin Leung & Kit Chan
Vancity Officiant was founded by Kevin Leung and Kit Chan, both Certified Life Cycle Celebrants® and ordained metaphysical ministers.
Before becoming wedding officiants, both Kevin and Kit worked as award-winning wedding photojournalists, documenting weddings and observing the emotional reality of ceremonies from behind the camera.
Over the years, their work has brought them into a wide range of ceremonies and family dynamics, from simple legal signings to multilingual weddings that bring together different cultures, generations, and traditions.
Kevin, in the eyes of Kit
What I have always appreciated about Kevin is his ability to make people feel comfortable while bringing a sense of confidence and direction to a wedding ceremony. He has a natural sense of humour, but also knows when a moment calls for sincerity, quietness, or simply giving people space.
Having worked alongside him for years, I've seen how thoughtfully he approaches multicultural weddings. He understands that different traditions often come with different family expectations, and that a ceremony is meaningful not only to the couple, but also to the parents and loved ones who take part. Kevin has a way of paying attention to everyone involved, making sure they feel considered without losing sight of the couple at the centre of the celebration.
His approach is supported by considerable experience and professional recognition. Kevin has officiated more than 1,800 weddings and is the first Chinese Certified Life-Cycle Celebrant® in North America, as well as a licensed BC marriage officiant. He was named Wedding Officiant of the Year at the 2019 British Columbia Wedding Awards and recognized among the Top 3 Best Wedding Officiants at the BC Professional Wedding Awards in 2018 and 2019. Yet what I admire most is that, despite these achievements, he never feels the need to make himself the centre of attention.
Outside of weddings, Kevin has a special affection for animals, particularly rescue dogs. It's a side of him I often see during pet-inclusive ceremonies, where his genuine warmth and connection with animals come through naturally.
Kit, in the eyes of Kevin
Before becoming a wedding officiant, Kit was an award-winning wedding photojournalist. Having known and worked alongside her for years, I've seen how that experience continues to shape the way she approaches weddings. She notices the emotions, relationships, and small details that others might easily overlook, and brings that same awareness into the ceremonies she leads today.
What stands out to me most is how thoughtfully Kit approaches her work. She has high standards, not simply because she wants things done well, but because she believes the details should have meaning. She has a natural ability to recognize the different emotions, relationships, and expectations surrounding a wedding, and to consider how they influence the experience of everyone involved. Her empathy is balanced by a practical mindset, allowing her to approach decisions with both sensitivity and clarity.
I've also seen how her care extends beyond people. Kit has always had a deep affection for animals, and when she created Pawfect Witness™ in 2024, it felt like a natural extension of her values. To me, it reflects her belief that every living being deserves dignity, kindness, and a place in the moments that matter.
Kit is also someone who rarely stops questioning familiar ideas. She likes to look beyond how things have traditionally been done and consider why they are done that way, and whether there might be another perspective worth exploring. That curiosity now finds another expression through Wedding Perspectives by Kit Chan, where she shares her experiences, observations, and reflections on weddings, traditions, relationships, and changing expectations.
2,500 Weddings Later...
Since 2014, Vancity Officiant has officiated more than 2,500 weddings across British Columbia. That's a lot of ceremonies, a lot of vows, and certainly a lot of words. We've written plenty of scripts along the way, but thankfully, our job has never been simply to write them.
To us, a wedding ceremony is, at its heart, a moment of relationship acknowledgment. It's a chance for two people to recognize the commitment they're making, and for their relationship to be witnessed and acknowledged by the people around them. Whether it's a simple legal signing, an intimate elopement, or a multicultural celebration, the essence of that moment doesn't change.
We're officiants, not entertainers, and we certainly don't need the spotlight. (The couple usually looks better in the photos anyway.) Our role is to guide the ceremony while leaving room for genuine emotions to unfold. Sometimes there's laughter, sometimes there are tears, and sometimes a quiet pause says more than another paragraph ever could.
After all these years, we've become very clear about the experience we want couples to have. A ceremony should feel like their own, not something being performed for them. We want them to be fully present, to feel the significance of their commitment, and to experience the connection that brought them together in the first place. That's the kind of ceremony we're proud to be part of.
Pawfect Witness™: More Than a Pawprint
Not every important member of a family walks on two legs. Some have four, occasionally steal the spotlight, and aren't particularly interested in following the ceremony schedule.
That's part of the thinking behind Pawfect Witness™, which began through our wedding ceremonies. We wanted to give couples a meaningful way to include their beloved animals, not simply as adorable guests, but as family members whose companionship and place in their lives deserve recognition. Sometimes that means a pawprint signature, a special role in the ceremony, or a quiet acknowledgment of a companion who can no longer be there.
For Kit, this connection began long before Pawfect Witness™ had a name. Her first dog, Fi Chai, shaped her understanding of the bond between people and animals. Today, our rescued dogs, Fagu and Maji, continue to be part of that journey, occasionally joining elopement ceremonies as our four-legged ambassadors. They may not understand the vows, but they're quite good at reminding us to enjoy the moment.
What began with weddings has gradually grown beyond the ceremony itself. Through our Pet-Friendly Wedding Vendor Directory, Pawfect Witness™ helps couples discover wedding professionals who welcome animals as part of their celebrations. After all, planning a wedding with a four-legged family member should involve more than simply asking, “Are dogs allowed?”
Our work also extends beyond weddings through initiatives such as the Wangwang Memorial Bench Vancouver. Created in memory of Wangwang and her three puppies, the project offers a place to remember animal lives, including those whose stories might otherwise go unseen, and to recognize the people who continue to care for them.
For every pet-inclusive wedding we officiate, we also make a small donation to a local animal rescue, extending that care beyond the ceremony itself. And sometimes, a small pawprint can say more than we ever could.
The Ensora: A Different Way to Say “I Do”
Our work as officiants eventually led to the creation of The Ensora, an intimate indoor ceremony venue in Richmond, British Columbia designed specifically for small and meaningful wedding ceremonies.
The space was created as a calm and intentional environment where couples can focus on the moment itself. With its minimalist design and quiet atmosphere, The Ensora offers an alternative for couples who prefer a simple, private ceremony without the scale or complexity of a traditional wedding venue.
Today, The Ensora welcomes couples who are looking for micro weddings, elopements, and legal signing ceremonies, providing a space where the ceremony remains the heart of the experience.
Couples who wish to learn more about our ceremony approach can explore our Ceremony Philosophy or visit our Ceremonies page.