Who can legally marry you in B.C.?
Whether you live on Vancouver Island or are coming from another province or even another country (looking at you, Americans!) I get this question all the time: who can marry us in British Columbia?
Some people want a relative to marry them, some people want their best friend to do it, others simply don’t know the terms or where to begin. And when you do begin to research it, you come across a few major terms and it’s confusing to know how they differ. I’m happy to help!
First, who cannot marry you? (legally speaking)
Can a friend get ordained online and marry us? No, unfortunately. Family, friends, nor your dog can get officiated and marry you.
What about a guest who is ordained in another province? Nope. Unfortunately not! They must be registered and licensed in this province to marry someone.
What about a Justice of the Peace? In BC, No. A JOP is a judicial officer, similar to a judge. They have legal authority over stuff. In the USA and other parts of Canada a JOP can marry you, but not here.
What if I really want a friend or family to marry us but they’re not ordained in BC? Your best bet is to have a marriage commissioner come and do the legal parts and have your friend do the rest. Most couples choose to do the legal parts in the morning, or the day before, or the next day. Even if you are legally wed on another day, your wedding date is the date you celebrate. I would know - I did exactly this!
Who CAN marry you in British Columbia?
An Officiant. Yes! An officiant can marry you. An officiant is licensed and registered to preform weddings via their faith body - a pastor, a rabbi, an imam, a reverend, a priest, a pandit, a granthi, a monk, a high priestess, or a minister (including of universalist faith, humanists, unitarians, and the more broad faith practices). They must be ordained by that religious body in this province, registered in BC, live in BC, and licensed. It’s not as easy to find them because they dont’ have a government website to search - but something like Wedding Wire, blogs, or Instagram can help!
A Marriage Commissioner. Yes! A marriage commissioner is a non-religious officiant. Instead of being ordained by a religion or faith, they are ordained by the government. This is reserved for people who are semi-retired. You can search for a marriage commissioner in B.C. here.
A Celebrant. Yes! A celebrant is an expert at hosting ceremonies for all stages of life, including weddings. They are passionate about personalizing this ceremony, and including meaningful elements such as storytelling, rock warming, ring blessings, speaking directly to the guests, and including many personal details and reflections on the couple. This is a highly tailored ceremony, designed for you and about you. It’s important as your celebrant that are ordained and registered. It could be the universalist church, the united humanists, Canadian metaphysical ministry, or through any of the faith bodies listed under officiant. The difference is that they want to tailor the ceremony to your specific relationship. Be careful - it can lead to lots of tears, weepy laughter, and heartfelt moments; they are very good at what they do. It also comes with a higher price tag, often about $500, due to the extra time and effort put in.
So. That’s who can marry you in British Columbia! Which one is right for you? Depends on if you want short and sweet, if you want or need any religious or faith elements, if you want it to be pretty to the point or more personalized. Some people don’t want to stand up in front of guests very long - it’s a lot of pressure! Others feel this is one of the biggest decisions of their lives and they don’t want to rush the actual ceremony, or see it as sacred.
In the end, the right person to marry you is a personal of the above designations AND who you feel really comfortable talking to, you like their style, their vibe, their mannerisms, their way of speaking. Whether that is more matter of fact, more heartfelt, more silly, more serious, more mystical, more practical … that depends on you. Good luck!