Marriage Licence and Registration

           Before you get married

Before you get married, you must get a Marriage Licence and Registration of Marriage form from  any registry agent in Alberta.

A Marriage Licence shows that you meet the requirements to get married in Alberta and gives you the legal right to get married any time within three months from the date the licence was issued.

You will receive a Marriage Licence-Registration  form from the registry agent at the same time you receive your marriage licence. You must present the Marriage Licence to the marriage officiant prior to your wedding ceremony.

The information collected becomes a permanent legal document and is used to produce a Marriage Certificate in accordance with provincial legislation.

Ensure ALL information (especially all names) is correct BEFORE leaving the registry agent's office. If an error or ommission is noticed at a later time, but prior to your wedding, bring it back to the agent that sold you the licence, or go to another agent for a correction or addition. 

Corrections where the original agent made a mistake should be free of charge.  If a second agent makes the change(s), a service fee may be assessed for their assistance. 

Once completed, the Registration of Marriage form is submitted by the Marriage Officiant to Vital Statistics for proper registration and becomes a permanent legal record of your marriage.

        Marriage Ceremony Requirements

There are several basic requirements for marriage ceremonies in Alberta.

*  Both parties to the marriage, a registered officiant and two adult witnesses must be present at the ceremony

*  The couple must present a valid Alberta marriage licence.

*  The Registration of Marriage must be signed by the bride, groom or spouse, marriage officiant and two adult witnesses.


                           Civil Ceremonies

Marriage ceremonies performed by a marriage commissioner require that during the ceremony, in the presence of the marriage commissioner and the two adult witnesses, the couple must declare to each other:

    * I do solemnly declare that I do not know of any lawful impediment why I, (name) may not be joined in matrimony to (name)

    * I call upon those persons present to witness that I, (name), do take thee, (name) to be my lawful wedded wife/husband/spouse.

         Marriage Officiant:
 
A marriage officiant is a person with the legal authourity to perform marriages in Alberta.

   Government Marriage Certificates are not automatically issued to couples once they are married.

If you would like to order a government issued Marriage Certificate, you must apply through the registry agent network.  A listing of Registry Agents is available in the yellow pages under "Licence & Registry Services" or by accessing the Alberta Registries Internet site at:   http://servicealberta.com/617.cfm 

Links to Vital Statistics,Service Alberta

Vital Statistics: Main Page http://servicealberta.com/VitalStatistics.cfm

Vital Statistics:  Getting Married
http://servicealberta.com/542.cfm

Vital Statistics: Marriage Licences http://servicealberta.com/1149.cfm

Finding a Registry Agent:  http://servicealberta.com/617.cfm