Almost every part of planning a wedding comes down to taste. What you wear, where you eat, which song you walk down the aisle to. The marriage licence BC couples need is the one part that is not about taste at all. It is a short piece of paperwork with a few firm rules.
The good news? Once you know the rules, it takes about an afternoon.
My mom Debi and I have watched a lot of weddings come together, and the licence is the thing couples leave until the week before and then panic about. So here is how it works in British Columbia, step by step.
What the licence actually is
A marriage licence is the legal document that authorizes a couple to legally marry in B.C. It is separate from your ceremony, your officiant and your venue. No licence, no legal marriage.
When to buy it (this is the one people get wrong)
Timing is where couples trip up. You must buy a marriage licence within 3 months before your wedding date. Buy it too early and it expires. If the marriage does not happen within that 3 month period, the licence is void and a new one has to be obtained.
There is no lag at the other end, though. The issuer prints the licence when you buy it, you can marry as soon as you have it, and there is no waiting period.
One more thing worth knowing. If you were recently divorced, you must wait until the divorce order takes effect before buying a marriage licence.
Who applies, and what to bring
You do not both need to take the day off. Only one person in the couple needs to apply, but they must apply in person and show primary identification for both people getting married.
Examples of primary identification include a birth certificate, an IMM or immigration form, a permanent resident card or a citizenship card. The issuer may accept a passport or driver's licence in some circumstances. If you are not sure what you have counts, call the issuer before you go rather than after. A two minute phone call beats a wasted trip.
BC marriage licence requirements for age
In British Columbia you must be at least 19 to marry without parental consent. People aged 16 to 18 can marry with written consent from their parents or guardians.
What it costs
A marriage licence costs $100 and is nonrefundable. That fee also includes your first marriage certificate, which is mailed to you after the marriage is registered.
If you are hiring a marriage commissioner for a civil ceremony, that is a separate fee. The province lists a base civil ceremony at $75 plus GST ($78.75 in total), covering one hour of preparation, meeting with you, rehearsal, travel and the ceremony itself. Commissioners can charge extra for time over that hour, mileage, and parking or ferry costs.
Who can marry you, and your witnesses
The ceremony must be performed by a licensed marriage commissioner or religious official, and you need two witnesses over age 19. Anyone performing a marriage ceremony in B.C. must be registered with the Vital Statistics Agency.
Worth sorting out early, because officiants book up the same way venues do, especially on summer Saturdays. If you have already set your date, you can search that date on OpenDates and see which B.C. officiants are still free.
As for witnesses, pick two people who will actually be standing near you at the end of the ceremony. Tell them ahead of time so nobody is wandering off for a drink when the pen comes out.
The signing, and what happens after
The signing is not just for the photos. At any wedding in British Columbia, the couple, two witnesses and the officiant must sign the Marriage Licence and Registration of Marriage after the ceremony has been performed.
Then it leaves your hands. Within 48 hours of the wedding, the officiant submits the registration to the Vital Statistics Agency, where it becomes a permanent legal record. Vital Statistics cannot issue a marriage certificate until the marriage is registered.
Your certificate is the document banks, insurers and passport offices will ask for later, so keep an eye on the mail in the weeks after the wedding.
Little tip from watching a lot of signings: ask your photographer where they would like everyone to stand. It is a lovely photo and it takes ten seconds to set up properly.
A simple order of operations
- Lock in your date, venue and officiant.
- Count back three months from the date. That is the earliest you can buy the licence.
- Gather primary ID for both of you.
- Send one of you to a licence issuer in person with the ID and the $100.
- Bring the licence and two witnesses aged 19 or over to the ceremony.
- Sign after the ceremony and let your officiant file it.
That is the whole legal part. Everything else, the flowers, the food, the first dance, is yours to enjoy.
Rules and fees can change. Please confirm the current requirements with the Province of British Columbia before you book anything around them.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a BC marriage licence valid?
You must buy it within 3 months before your wedding date. If the marriage does not happen within that 3 month period, the licence is void and you have to get a new one.
Is there a waiting period after you buy a marriage licence in B.C.?
No. The issuer prints the licence when you buy it, and you can marry as soon as you have it.
Do both of us need to apply in person?
Only one person in the couple needs to apply, but that person must apply in person and show primary identification for both people getting married.
Does the licence fee include a marriage certificate?
Yes. The $100 licence fee includes your first marriage certificate, which is mailed to you after the marriage is registered.
Now for the fun part
Paperwork sorted. The rest of getting married in BC is the part you will actually remember.
This is exactly why we built OpenDates. When I was planning my own wedding, the hardest part was finding out who was actually free on our date. On OpenDates you enter your wedding date and see the B.C. venues, officiants, photographers, caterers, florists and DJs and musicians who still have that day open. No long email chains, no waiting a week to hear back.
It is completely free for couples, always, and the businesses listed never pay commission.
Happy planning! Kristina
Photos from Pexels.