Getting Married

Service Alberta is responsible for licencing and registering marriages in Alberta. In addition, the department registers religious organizations and clergy who perform marriages, appoint marriage commissioners and establishes the legal requirements for marriage ceremonies.

Before You Get Married

Before you get married, you must get a Marriage Licence and a Registration of Marriage from the registry agent network in Alberta.

A Marriage Licence shows that you meet the requirements to get married in Alberta and gives you the legal right to get married any time within three months from the date the licence was issued. You will receive a Registration of Marriage form from the registry agent at the same time you receive your marriage licence, which you must present to the marriage officiant. Once complete, the Registration of Marriage form becomes a permanent legal record of your marriage.

Contacting a Marriage Officiant

A marriage officiant is a person with the legal authority to perform marriages in Alberta. When planning your marriage, you may choose a religious or civil ceremony. There are no legal differences between these two types of ceremonies.

Religious ceremonies can be performed by a religious representative or clergy registered with Vital Statistics. Marriage Commissioners appointed by the Government of Alberta can perform civil ceremonies. Check our listing of marriage commissioners for an Officiant in your area. Any registry agent can also provide you with a list.

 
Marriage Commissioner Survey Invitation

Alberta Vital Statistics is continuing to look for ways to improve its marriage commissioner program. As part of this process, a public survey is being conducted.

If your ceremony is being performed by an Alberta marriage commissioner, we would be very interested in hearing about your experiences and opinions after you are married. To participate in our (anonymous) survey, please go to www.ServiceAlberta.ca/survey/MarCom.



Marriage Ceremony Requirements

There are several basic requirements for marriage ceremonies in Alberta:
  • Both parties to the marriage, a registered officiant and two adult witnesses must be present at the ceremony

  • The couple must present a valid Alberta marriage licence

  • The Registration of Marriage must be signed by the bride, groom or spouse, marriage officiant and two adult witnesses

Civil Ceremonies

Marriage ceremonies performed by a marriage commissioner require that during the ceremony, in the presence of the marriage commissioner and the two adult witnesses, the couple must declare to each other:
  • I do solemnly declare that I do not know of any lawful impediment why I, (name) may not be joined in matrimony to (name)

  • I call upon those persons present to witness that I, (name), do take thee, (name) to be my lawful wedded wife/husband/spouse

Religious Ceremonies

Other than the above basic requirements, there are no government regulations with respect to the solemnization of the marriage by a member of the clergy.