BANNS OF MARRIAGE OR MARRIAGE LICENSE WHAT IS A

We can marry a couple by banns if the following requirements are met

Banns of Marriage or Marriage License

What is a Marriage License/Banns of Marriage?

The Marriage License/Banns of Marriage forms are what you sign at your wedding ceremony to officially declare that your have been married. These forms will be sent to the Government of Ontario to register your marriage.

What is the difference between Banns of Marriage and Marriage License?

Banns of Marriage is a gift from your church to you as a couple. You do not need to go get or purchase a Banns Form but the Banns of Marriage must be published in your church. Your officiant will fill out all the necessary information on the Banns Form before the wedding. Your officiant will send the Banns Form to the Government of Ontario for official marriage registration. There are restrictions to who can be married by Banns.

A Marriage License needs to be purchased in advance of the wedding (approximately $120). Your officiant will send the Marriage License to the Government of Ontario for official marriage registration. You will need to provide identification when your purchase your Marriage License.

What does it mean to Publish the Banns of Marriage?

When using Banns of Marriage to be married, your marriage must be announced to your current congregation. This announcement must be verbally announced in front of the congregation at a regularly occurring service. In the case of Creekside Church, it would be announced at a Sunday morning service. You do not need to make the announcement, it can be done by someone else within the service. At Creekside the Banns of Marriage are also published in the weekly Update. Here is a sample of what would be verbally said and written in our Update:

I hereby publish the Banns of Marriage between Groom Jones of Waterloo,

Ontario, and Bride Smith of Kitchener, Ontario. Their marriage is to take place

Saturday, May 27, 2006 at 11:00 am at Creekside Church, Waterloo, Ontario.

Banns Of Marriage Information

Creekside Church can marry a couple by banns if the following requirements are met.

The couple (or one of the couple) is in regular attendance at Creekside Church.
The marriage ceremony will be performed by one of the people designated by Creekside Church to perform marriages.
Both parties usual place of abode is in Canada.

Banns can only be used when you are getting married by a person who is registered to marry by the church where you regularly attend. You can be married at another location, but you need to be married by one of our registered clergy. Banns can not in good conscience be used if you are getting married in a church you do not attend by the minister there. That minister may know you, but if you do not attend his church then that congregation does not actually know you as far at the Office of the Registrar General is concerned. You cannot be married earlier than the fifth day after the publication of banns.

The Proof of Publication of Banns form can only be used in the following circumstance.

When one person is in regular attendance at Creekside Church and the other person is in regular attendance at another church. Then the banns must be published in both churches. The person who is solemnizing the marriage would provide the banns form (ie. if you are being married by Ken, we would provide the banns form) and the other church would send us the “Proof of Publication of Banns” form. The Proof of Publication of Banns or Banns of Marriage form can not be used if the couple regularly attends here, but is being married in another church by the minister there.

Marriage License Information

Please see below for details on obtaining a marriage license.

Here is the link where I got this information: http://www.cbs.gov.on.ca/mcbs/english/marriages_licence.htm

Getting married?

First you need a marriage license

To be married in Ontario, you must fill out a marriage license or use Banns of Marriage through your church. You can get a marriage license from the municipal clerk office of your city, town, village or township OR download the marriage license application.

Once you have filled out the application, apply for the marriage license in person. Make sure you and your partner bring identification, such as a birth certificate (along with any change of name certificates), current passport, Record of Immigrant Landing or Canadian citizenship card, photo identification, and make sure you know your parents’ place of birth.

There is a fee for purchasing a marriage license. Contact your municipal office for the current fee. The marriage license is valid anywhere in Ontario for three months from the date of purchase.

Marriage licenses can be purchased at Waterloo City Hall
Clerk’s Office, Main Floor
100 Regina Street South, Waterloo
Telephone: (519) 747-8777 or (519) 747-8776
Or online at http://www.city.waterloo.on.ca/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=1156#2580

License Fee: $100.00, payable by cash or debit card.

In Kitchener Marriage licenses are issued at

2nd Floor, Clerk's Division

Kitchener City Hall

200 King St. W., Kitchener

Or online at http://www.city.kitchener.on.ca/city_hall/departments/corp_services/clerks/licensing/mar_licen.html

Licence Fee: $115.00, payable in cash or by debit card.

Hours for issuing marriage licenses in Kitchener are Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

For more information, see the Marriage License Requirements on the City of Kitchener website or call (519) 741-2285.

Links:

Check out this website for answers to many of your marriage license questions:

http://www.gov.on.ca/ont/portal/!ut/p/.cmd/cs/.ce/7_0_A/.s/7_0_252/_s.7_0_A/7_0_252/_l/en?docid=012199

http://www.cbs.gov.on.ca/mcbs/english/marriages_licence.htm

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