How to get married in BC

Getting married in British Columbia? Whether you’re eloping on a mountaintop, hosting a backyard microwedding, or planning a full-blown celebration, there’s one thing every kind of wedding has in common: the legal stuff.

This blog post is here to walk you through the official, must-do steps to get legally married in BC - I have plenty of advice for how to go about planning your wedding, but the purpose of this post is to outline the legal portion.

First of all: It’s really breezy to get married in BC! Here is a step by step guide - all information is current as of June, 2025. If you’re reading this in the future, please check the information is still current… (also, I hope the future is nice).

1️⃣ Step one: Get Your Marriage Licence

You’ll need to apply for your marriage licence within 90 days of your wedding date, so don’t be too organized and get it too soon, as it will expire. Find a marriage licence issuer near you.
In many towns, your local London Drugs is the go-to spot, so you can pick up Tylenol, breath mints, band-aids, and a marriage licence in one romantic swoop.

✅ Only one of you needs to go in person, but they’ll need to bring government-issued ID for both parties (or go together and make a date out of it).
✅You'll pay $100 directly to the issuer.
✅ Once you get the licence, take a minute to double-check that everything is spelled correctly and that the expiry date lands after your wedding day.
✅Once you have your licence, store it somewhere safe until the big day. If you’re seeing your officiant before the wedding, they may even be able to hold onto it for you.

What Info Do You Need to Complete the Licence?

To complete the application, you’ll need some details about your parent’s. Send this to your officiant so they can write it on the licence:

✅ Father’s Last Name, First Name,
✅ Father’s Place of Birth (town, province / state, country)
✅ Mother’s Maiden Last Name, First Name
✅ Mother’s Place of Birth (town, province / state, country)

If you don’t have access to this information - for example, due to adoption, estrangement, or other circumstances - you can simply write “unknown.”

2️⃣ Step two: What’s Legally Required on the Wedding Day

When it’s time to tie the knot, here’s what BC law requires:

✅ Two witnesses must be present to sign.
✅ You’ll speak your intent to marry (e.g. by saying ‘I do).
✅ You’ll need a licensed officiant… Like me!
✅ You’ll be declared as married by the officiant.

Witnesses: I confirmed with Vital Statistics BC - they can be any age, as long as they understand what they’re doing. So, I’ve even had an eight year old child of a couple sign for their parents!

Officiant: Your officiant’s obligations may vary slightly depending on how they’re authorized to marry people. Some religious officiants may need to include a faith-based component, while government commissioners may have to use specific legal wording. Either way, your officiant will know the drill.

3️⃣ Step three: Wait for Your Marriage Certificate

About three weeks after the wedding, your official Marriage Certificate will arrive by mail (or you can order it online through Vital Statistics BC if you need it sooner). This is the document you’ll use for things like changing your name, updating ID, or framing as a sweet reminder of the day

❔Can I get married in Canada if I live overseas?

Yes! You do not need to be a Canadian citizen or resident to get legally married in BC. As long as you apply for your marriage licence in person while you’re in BC, use a registered officiant, and meet the legal requirements (consent, witnesses, etc.)

It’s wise to check with your home country about how to register or recognize your Canadian marriage afterward, especially for name changes or immigration purposes. My most popular international couples who come here to get married include Australians and US Americans, so I’ll include information for those lovebirds here:

• Can Australians get married in Canada: Yes - at the time of writing, Australian’s getting married in Canada do not need to do anything more to register their marriage once they get back to Australia. You can simply get married in Canada, and it’ll be recognized in Aus.

• Can US Americans get married in Canada: Yes! You may need to register in your home state - it depends what state you live in. More information here.

❔Can my friend officiate my wedding in BC?

Not unless they are legally authorized. Unlike some provinces or countries, BC does not allow one-day deputization for officiants. HOWEVER, you have options. I often have a friend lead the ceremony, and I step in for the legal portion, making everything official. I also can provide a script and coaching for your friend to officiate.

🙋🏻‍♀️ Need help making your ceremony legal and meaningful?

I’m a registered officiant in BC who specializes in personalized, heartfelt ceremonies - whether you're eloping, planning a tiny wedding, or going all out. If you have questions about the legal process or want to chat about working together, reach out here - I’d love to hear from you!

First image by Dominic Captures. Second image by Neda Photography.