Guide
LGBTQ+ weddings in Ontario: the law, the words and the officiant
In short
Same-sex couples have been able to marry in Ontario since June 10, 2003, when the Court of Appeal for Ontario redefined marriage as the union of two persons; the federal Civil Marriage Act has said the same across Canada since 2005. The steps are the same for every couple: a marriage licence, an authorized officiant and 2 witnesses. In the legal words, each of you chooses how to name the other: wife, husband, partner or spouse. Religious officials may decline a marriage contrary to their beliefs, so choose an officiant who will gladly marry you.
Written by Sofiane B. · Founder, Celebrance
- Same-sex marriage in Ontario
- Since June 10, 2003
- Across Canada
- Civil Marriage Act, 2005
- The steps
- Licence, authorized officiant, 2 witnesses
- Your word for each other
- Wife, husband, partner or spouse
On this page
The law in Ontario
On June 10, 2003, the Court of Appeal for Ontario ruled that limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples breached the equality rights of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It redefined marriage as the voluntary union for life of two persons to the exclusion of all others, with immediate effect: same-sex couples have been able to marry in Ontario since that day.
In 2005, the federal Civil Marriage Act wrote it into law for all of Canada: marriage, for civil purposes, is the lawful union of two persons to the exclusion of all others.
The same steps for every couple
- a marriage licence from a municipal office, within the 3 months before your date;
- an authorized officiant;
- 2 witnesses, present at the ceremony;
- the signing of the licence right after, by the two of you, your witnesses and your officiant.
Our guide on how to get married in Ontario gives every step, and our licence planner gives the dates for your wedding.
The legal words: your own terms
For a civil marriage, the Marriage Act sets three short statements, and the second one leaves the choice to each of you: you take the other as your lawful wedded wife, husband, partner or spouse. In French: épouse, époux, partenaire conjugal or conjoint(e). Each of you chooses the word that fits you, and you don't have to use the same one. Our guide gives the exact legal words of an Ontario wedding.
With Celebrance, your ceremony script includes the legal words with your names, and your officiant sets the term each of you has chosen.
Choosing your officiant
The Civil Marriage Act recognizes that officials of religious groups are free to refuse to perform marriages that aren't in accordance with their religious beliefs, and Ontario's Marriage Act says the same for registered officiants. So choose an officiant who will celebrate you, and talk to them before the day: how they work, the words they use, how they include your families.
With Celebrance, an officiant confirms your booking before it is final. Our officiants are free to decline any offer; if one does, we offer your ceremony to the next one, and if your officiant can't make it, we send a replacement at no cost. See our wedding officiants in Ontario.
A ceremony that's yours
- The entrance. Walk in together, each with someone you love, or meet in the middle.
- The words. Ask your officiant for language that fits you: "the two of you", "the couple", your names.
- Your vows. See how to write your wedding vows.
- Your witnesses. Two people you trust, who understand what they witness: see wedding witnesses in Ontario.
- Two languages? See a French or bilingual wedding ceremony.
After the wedding
Order your marriage certificate, and if either of you takes the other's last name, see changing your last name after marriage.
Sources: ontariocourts.ca: halpernsynopsis · laws-lois.justice.gc.ca: page 1 · ontario.ca: 90m03 · ontario.ca: getting married
Frequently asked questions
Is the process different for same-sex couples in Ontario?
No. Every couple follows the same steps: a marriage licence from a municipal office, an authorized officiant and 2 witnesses, then the signing right after the ceremony.
Do we have to say husband and wife?
No. In the legal words of the Marriage Act, each of you takes the other as your lawful wedded wife, husband, partner or spouse, in English, or épouse, époux, partenaire conjugal or conjoint(e) in French. Each of you chooses, and you don't have to use the same word.
Can an officiant refuse to marry us?
A religious official is free to refuse a marriage that isn't in accordance with their religious beliefs, under the Civil Marriage Act, and Ontario's Marriage Act says the same for registered officiants. Choose an officiant who will celebrate you, and talk to them before you book.
Can either of us take the other's last name?
Yes. In Ontario, either spouse can take the other's last name after the marriage, with the marriage certificate, free on your Ontario cards. See our guide on changing your last name after marriage.