Alberta marriages are valid throughout the world and one does not have to be a Canadian citizen or Alberta resident to get married in the Province. All a couple requires is an Alberta Marriage License available at any Registry Office in the Province of Alberta. There is a fee for this license.

To obtain the licence both the Bride and Groom must go to a Registry Office. I suggest that you phone ahead to determine:

• If appointments are required
• If the Bride or the Groom have been previously married, what documentation is required.

The licence is then turned over to the person conducting the marriage ceremony. In order for the wedding to take place the ceremony must be witnessed by two people, eighteen years of age or older. It is not necessary that the couple know the witnesses prior to the wedding and I am often asked to provide witnesses. The officiant will then present the bride and groom with a Statement of Marriage (a certificate) immediately following the ceremony. The officiant must then submit the license to the Government of Alberta for registration of the marriage. Official certificates of marriage are available from the Vital Statistics Department following the marriage. There is a fee for this and the process is handled by Registry Offices.

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