Marriages

Civil Ceremonies

The City of Pickering is excited to offer civil ceremonies for those interested in a simple, non-religious Ceremony. Marriage Ceremonies are performed Monday – Friday based on availability.

Civil Ceremonies General Information

Civil Ceremonies will take place in Council Chambers in Pickering City Hall or our outdoor Gazebo Monday to Friday at 11 a.m. or 3 p.m.

Ceremonies are limited to 55 participants, including the couple, their two witnesses, the City’s Officiant and 50 guests.

If an interpreter is required, this is to be provided by the applicants. The interpreter cannot be a witness.

Civil Ceremony Fee

The Civil Marriage Ceremony fee is $375.00 (+HST), and is payable by Debit-Interac, VISA, or Mastercard in person at City Hall, please note we do not accept cash. This includes a mandatory pre-ceremony meeting with the officiant one week prior to your ceremony.

Booking your Civil Ceremony

Ceremony bookings are to be made in person at the Pickering Civic Complex.

To book a Ceremony you will need to bring:

• a completed Ceremony Booking Agreement;
• a Valid Marriage Licence, you can purchase the Marriage Licence at time of booking; and
• Valid Identification.

Service

Your booking will include the use of the Council Chambers or Gazebo for 45 minutes. The service takes approximately 20 minutes. Music appropriate to the occasion as approved by the Officiant and provided by the Applicants is permitted. Photography and/or videography are allowed before, during, and after the ceremony.

The City offers the four following scripts for Applicants to choose from:

• Script 1
• Script 2
• Script 3
• Script 4 (Legal requirements only)

Applying for a Licence

Both Applicant and Joint Applicant must complete and sign the Government of Ontario Marriage Licence Application - Form 3. 

However, only one Applicant needs to be present, with original ID for both parties, in order to process the application.  Please note that original signatures are required.  We do not accept digital signatures.

Application forms are processed Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. by the Clerk's Office at Pickering City Hall. 

Fee

The Licence Fee is $155.00 (Debit-Interac, VISA, Mastercard)

Required Identification

We require two original pieces of government-issued identification for each person getting married.  One piece of identification must include your photo, with your current legal name, date of birth and signature.

First Piece of photo ID must be:

• Birth Certificate
• Valid Passport

Second supporting piece of ID must be:

• Valid Drivers Licence
• Birth Certificate (if not used as your primary piece of ID)
• Valid Passport (if not used as your primary piece of ID)
• Canadian Citizenship Card
• Record of Immigrant Landing
• Ontario Photo ID Card

Please note that only original documents will be accepted and the issuer will take a copy of the identification provided and attach it to the marriage licence application. The first name and last names must match on the two pieces of ID you are presenting. To have your middle name included on your marriage licence, it must appear on one piece of ID.

Age Requirements

Both Applicants must be 18 years of age or older. Applicants 16 or 17 years of age require parental consent. Contact us for further details.

Previously Divorced?

If a previous marriage was dissolved or annulled within Canada, the original or court certified copy of the Certificate of Divorce or Decree Absolute must be submitted. A Divorce Judgment or Divorce Order is not acceptable. Certified copies may be obtained from the court that granted the divorce. All documents will be returned, and the issuer will take a copy of the documents provided.  Photocopies are not acceptable.

If the divorce was granted in a country other than Canada, Applicants will need to send the following documents to Service Ontario to obtain a Foreign Divorce Authorization (FDA), before a Marriage Licence can be issued.

• marriage licence application form: completed and signed;
• statement of sole responsibility: for each divorce (signed by both Applicants and a witness);
• legal opinion letter: from an Ontario lawyer, addressed to the Applicants getting married, giving reasons why the divorce or annulment should be recognized in Ontario; and,
• divorce decree or annulment: an original or court-certified copy in English or French. If the decree is in another language, you will need to include a translated copy and an affidavit sworn by a certified translator.

For any additional information, please visit Ontario.ca.

A certified translator must translate documents that are in a language other than English.

Annulments

Annulments are different from divorces in that they are granted under specific circumstances as if the marriage never occurred.

If a previous marriage was annulled, a court ordered annulment document (not a religious annulment) must be provided.  The issuer will take a copy of the document, and note the Applicant as "Never Married" on the Marriage Licence.

Additional Information

There are no residency or citizenship requirements. Blood tests or medical certificates are not required in Ontario.

A Marriage Licence is valid for use anywhere in Ontario for a period of 3 months from the date of issue. Service Ontario has extended the expiry date for select marriage licences in response to COVID-19, please contact us for details or visit Ontario.ca to learn more.