Civil Ceremony Information:

*The Alberta marriage licence is to be given to the commissioner prior to the ceremony commencing

*The marriage ceremony must take place in Alberta, although the couple and the witnesses do not have to permanently reside here

*Marriage by proxy is not permitted; the couple and the witnesses need to be present for the wedding to occur

*Neither the couple or the witnesses may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol or be cognitively impaired

*Witnesses must be over the age of 18

*The couple being married as well as the witnesses must understand the language spoken during the ceremony and understand the English paperwork they are signing

*If anyone requires an interpreter or translator it is their responsibility to provide one for the ceremony

*The couple, the two witnesses, and the marriage commissioner will sign the marriage licence during the ceremony

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After the Ceremony:

*The marriage commissioner will provide the couple with a Civil Marriage Statement – the proof of the marriage

*The marriage commissioner will keep the marriage licence and submit the registration of marriage portion to Vital Statistics Alberta within two days of the wedding ceremony

*The registration of marriage is kept by Vital Statistics and is used to issue the government marriage documents

*Alberta marriage certificates can be applied for at an Alberta Registry approximately two weeks after the wedding ceremony – they are issued from the Government and will arrive in the mail after they have been applied for.

For more information: http://www.servicealberta.gov.ab.ca/find-a-registry-agent.cfm