Become a Marriage Commissioner in Canada in 3 Steps

Becoming a marriage commissioner in Canada is a great way perhaps one of the best ways to positively affect other peoples’ lives.

Wedding officiants provide their time, experience, energy and passion to making wedding-day memories happen and by providing an exceptionally positive service to the families they work with.

When planning a wedding ceremony, it is important to get the guidance from an experienced Marriage Commissioner to help you design, write, and perform the right ceremony for you.

Of course, an essential person at a wedding apart from the couple is the Marriage Commissioner because they make the marriage official.

A marriage commissioner is someone you need to research and book early during the wedding planning process.

In this guide, we’re going to share the steps to becoming Marriage Commissioner in Canada        provide a list of wedding commissioners duties for your special day.

Who is a marriage Commissioner?

Simply put, a Marriage Commissioner (or a wedding officiant, as it is popularly known in Canada), is anyone who can legally officiate a marriage ceremony. They are also called the leader of a wedding ceremony.

Most importantly, anyone who performs wedding ceremonies that are not legal marriages, or without being legally recognized by the Canadian government are not considered as a marriage Commissioner.

It can be exciting and a challenge to officiate a wedding. For many, it’s an experience they will never forget. Nevertheless, if you decide to do this as a career, it can become a rewarding job opportunity.

Responsibilities of a Marriage Commissioner

Indeed, the duties of a marriage commissioner begin before the day of the wedding as they guide or take the bride and groom through counselling, marital classes, among others.

A marriage commissioner plays an important role in a wedding ceremony and the choice of one isn’t a small decision.

The following are the primary job duties of a Marriage Commissioner:-

• A marriage commissioner works with the couple in the months before the wedding day to draft the ceremony, which may include personal vows, readings, music selections, and more.
• They also advise the couple of the legal requirements of marriage ceremonies.
• A marriage commissioner maintains the dignity and solemnity of the marriage occasion.
• On your wedding day, the marriage commissioner will fill out, sign the marriage license along with witnesses and send it back to the county clerk’s office for certification.

Is it Good to Become a Marriage Commissioner in Canada?

Now we have understood who a marriage commissioner is and what responsibility you have when you become one, let us consider the wedding officiating career.

Is it a good one? Is it beneficial? We will look at this under the benefits, career prospects and earnings.

Benefits of Being a Marriage Commissioner in Canada

As stated earlier, being a marriage commissioner is a dream come true for many. The following are reasons why one would want to become a marriage commissioner in Canada:-

1. You can earn lots of extra income by officiating wedding ceremonies

A marriage commissioner charge around $500 to $700 in conducting a private wedding ceremony.

Couples can spend over hundreds of dollars for a talented one. In this case, successful wedding officiants make more than $2,000 a week.

2. Meeting new people

It is a known fact that people love going to wedding ceremonies. Therefore, as a marriage commissioner, you will get to meet many people every day.

You could even gain connections, make new friends, get opportunities, etc. If you love connecting with people, you will not lack for people when you work as a marriage commissioner in Canada.

3. Own your own business as a marriage commissioner

If you prefer to have a job that allows you to set your own hours, you’re in luck. One of the benefits of being a marriage commissioner is the opportunity to become independent officiants.

However, this is a big opportunity for anyone who values his or her independence. The freedom to set your own schedule and to take a vacation whenever you want one.

Why is a marriage commissioner a good career in Canada?

A marriage commissioner is one of the most remunerative occupations in Canada.

While a wedding officiant cost can vary depending on where you are in the country, along with a number of other factors, the average cost in Canada is $300 with most couples spend between $500 to $700.

More so, they are opportune to immigrate to Canada as skilled workers. As such, they can apply via Express Entry FSWP. The services provided by an ordained marriage commissioner have high demands in Canada.

Marriage commissioners have good future job prospects in many provinces in Canada. These include in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan.

6 Qualities to Consider When Hiring a Wedding Commissioner

You need to consider certain things before hiring a wedding commissioner. This will help you determine who will be the best officiant for your ceremony.

1. Experience

The number one reason to hire a professional marriage commissioner is experience.

The more experience an officiant has at performing wedding ceremonies, the better equipped they are to deliver a high-quality performance in the midst of an unpredictable environment.

2. Make sure he or she is legit

The last thing you want to worry about after your wedding is the validity of your marriage certificate. Make sure the Canadian government ordains your marriage commissioner.

At the end of the day, the person you hire should be someone you want to feel comfortable hanging out with.

3. They should have a good public speaking experience

The person officiating your wedding needs to be comfortable speaking in front of an audience.

In addition, someone with public speaking experience will also know how to react in case something unplanned happens.

A great public speaker can engage an audience and have fun with you two while legalizing your ceremony.

4. A marriage commissioner should be punctual

There’s nothing more embarrassing than getting ready to walk down the aisle and your marriage commissioner is missing.

On the day of the wedding, your officiant should plan to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to start of ceremony, especially if there is any sound equipment like a microphone.

In addition, a responsible wedding officiant will even have a plan in case he/she is unable to attend the wedding ceremony at the last minute.

5. Filing the proper paperwork

One of the qualities of an experienced wedding officiant is that they know how to take care of the paperwork.

The marriage commissioner is responsible for getting the marriage license from the couple prior to the ceremony, having it in his/her possession during the ceremony and having two witnesses at the ceremony sign the license.

6. Your marriage commissioner should have an awesome personality

A good officiant will work closely with a couple to plan a meaningful and memorable ceremony.

In fact, hiring experienced wedding officiant also means that he or she already knows how to write and deliver wedding ceremonies with confidence.

If you’re unsure about how to go about writing vows or choosing readings, an experienced officiant can be of tremendous help, pointing you to helpful resources and offering advice.

Steps to Become a Marriage Commissioner in Canada

Applying for marriage commissioning jobs is quite easy in Canada. Despite that, you need to follow certain steps to guarantee that you don’t miss out on any important thing during the process.

Here are three (3) steps that can be resourceful to you in meeting your career goals as a marriage commissioner in Canada.

Step 1: Get Ordained

Getting ordained is an important step to become a marriage commissioner in Canada. you can get ordained right online. It can be done simply by providing the right information for your ordination.

If you gain a religious ordination, you will have the legal authorization to perform marriage ceremonies.

In addition, you will be able to use your religious ordination credentials to sell your services as a wedding officiant.

Step 2: Become a Master of Your Craft

Becoming a master of your craft will help you gain more success. The best thing you can do to improve your skills as a marriage commissioner is to book as many weddings as possible.

Some of the other things you can do to help master your craft include:

• Working with couples to help them plan the ceremony.
• Becoming comfortable speaking in front of groups.
• Learning how to write custom wedding scripts.
• Learning the market for your services and the proper rates to charge.
• Gain feedback from couples to help improve your services.

Step 3: Market Your Services

If this is your career choice, you will need a website, social media, and at least some business cards.

Additionally, networking at wedding ceremonies can be very helpful and you can even collaborate with other officiants to help when they become overbooked.

As a business owner, you will need to bring in new clients and book weddings regularly.

How to Become a Soldier in Canada

Frequently Asked Questions

Can anyone officiate a wedding in Canada?

In Canada, weddings must be officiated by a marriage commissioner, licensed officiant or solemnized religious representative.

How long does it take to get ordained in Canada?

Applications take from 2 to 4 weeks to process. An applicant for a temporary marriage commissioner appointment must be 18 years or older and must be a permanent resident of Canada.

Do couples need a license to marry?

Yes, you must get a marriage license. You can apply for a marriage license at most provincial registry offices.

A marriage license is valid for 3 months from the date of issue so the wedding ceremony must take place within that time.

Can a marriage commissioner conduct wedding online in Canada?

Nope, the couples must be physically present for the wedding, phone call or online is not allowed in Canada.

What do couples need to do after the wedding ceremony?

After the ceremony, the newly married couple and their witnesses must sign the Registration of Marriage.

As the marriage commissioner, you must also fill out a portion of the Registration of Marriage certifying that you performed the ceremony.

Conclusion

Above all, your wedding officiant should be able to serve as your go-to person for all your questions and concerns about your ceremony.

Choose someone who can serve you well and help you keep on top of all the details.