How to Become a Wedding Officiant in Ontario
Your definitive guide to becoming an officiant in the province of Ontario.
There’s a lot of confusing (and often conflicting) information online.
Let me help you make sense of it all.
Hey, I’m Jeff!
The Governing Official of Togetherness Collective (but we’ll get to who I am and how I can help in just a second)
First things first:
Let’s get three of the most commonly asked questions out of the way:
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No, you cannot.
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Also no. You were hoping for a different answer, weren’t you?
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Ah now you’re asking the right question - definitely!
With that out of the way, let me tell you who can marry people in Ontario.
There are only a handful of people who can solemnize a marriage in Ontario (you’ll see them listed on any Marriage Licence issued in Ontario):
→Judge
→Justice of the Peace
→Case Management Master
→Municipal Clerk/Delegate
→Registered Indigenous Officiant
→Registered Religious Officiant* (that’s us!)
It’s a pretty short list.
And that aforementioned group can perform one of two types of marriage ceremonies (depending on their designation):
a Civil Ceremony, or a Religious Ceremony.
A civil ceremony is most often performed in City Hall, by a city delegate, such as a Judge, Justice of the Peace, or City Clerk. Each City Hall is free to set their own rates for this service, and the ceremony is typically performed in City Hall chambers or an office.
Civil Ceremony
A religious ceremony is performed by a provincially Registered Religious Officiant, appointed by a religious organization who has received authorization from the Office of the Registrar General to perform marriages in Ontario according to the Marriage Act.
Religious Ceremony
Religious Officiants, or Clergy, as they’re often referred to, are the most common designation for people who want to help couples get married.
Anyone who wishes to be a Religious Officiant has to be trained and ordained by an approved religious body.
Here’s how we can help!
Togetherness Collective is a faith-based not for profit, and a registered religious charity. We are an active recognized religious denomination in the province of Ontario, with the authority to appoint clergy for the purposes of solemnizing marriages.
Our aim is to elevate the experience and expectations couples have from their wedding ceremony (after all, it’s one of the most important milestones in their lives). We accomplish that by preparing and training our clergy exceptionally well, and by offering ongoing support and courses for our members to continue to grow.
Our entire approach is countercultural, but here’s the thing: it works.
Loving our couples and training our clergy extremely well is the best way to ensure we put couples on the right path to a successful, and long marriage.
