Getting married in British Columbia

To legally marry in BC:

• neither of you can already be married, 

• you can’t be closely related, 

• you must generally be at least 19 years old, and

• both of you must understand and freely agree to the marriage.  

There are limited exceptions for people under 19. See the complete guide for details. The guide also explains how someone can formally object to a marriage for legal reasons, though this is rare. 

Yes. You need a marriage licence to legally marry in BC. The licence costs $100. It’s valid for three months. The BC government website has a search tool to help you find a marriage licence issuer near you. 

If one of you was married before, you must show proof of your divorce before you can get a marriage licence. You’ll usually need to show your divorce order, certificate of divorce, or annulment documents. 

The person performing the ceremony must be authorized to marry people in BC. This includes: 

• a marriage commissioner who has completed a government training program, or

• a religious official registered to perform marriages in BC (not all religious officials are registered, so ask before they perform the marriage).

You can have both a civil and religious ceremony if you want. Only the legal ceremony needs to be performed by someone authorized under BC law. 

Marriage commissioners charge a $75 fee plus tax, with possible additional costs for travel or parking. Religious officials set their own fees.

Yes. You need two witnesses at the ceremony, and both must be at least 19 years old.

The witnesses sign the marriage paperwork along with you and the officiant. They can be friends, family members, or anyone else at the ceremony.

If you’re planning a small ceremony, you can ask the officiant if they can help arrange witnesses.

You can get married almost anywhere in BC, as long as:

• the ceremony is performed by an authorized officiant,

• two witnesses are present, and

• the paperwork is properly signed and registered.

Weddings are commonly held in homes, parks, beaches, places of worship, wedding venues, and marriage commissioner offices.

Note that the marriage licence you buy is valid anywhere in the province — you can buy it in Vancouver and marry in Tofino.

After the ceremony, you, your witnesses, and the officiant sign the marriage paperwork. The officiant typically sends it to the Vital Statistics Agency. This is the government office that records all marriages in BC. (If you’re unsure, ask the officiant whether they will handle this.) 

After the marriage is registered, Vital Statistics will mail you an official marriage certificate.

The officiant may also give you a commemorative certificate at the ceremony, but this is not the official government-issued marriage certificate.

For more detail, see our complete guide to getting married in BC.

No. Getting married doesn't automatically change your name in BC. If you want to use your spouse’s last name — or combine or hyphenate your names — you’ll need to update your name with government agencies and other organizations. See our step-by-step guide on changing your legal name.