Marriage Commissioner Question

[Feruk]

Let's say I wanna get married. Do I just go get a marriage license, randomly contact whichever commissioner, set up time at their house, get married, and take the paper back to registry? Is that about it, or is there more to it? Does it make any difference who I pick for a commissioner? Do I need witnesses for the ceremony?

[eblend]

Can't tell you all the details, but I know that you don't go to the registry, at least not until after you are married, or so I remember. I got married in Canmore by the Mayor of Banff at the time, he was a commissioner. I just found him online, told him the data and time, we did the wedding (pretty sure you need a witness...I had a real wedding), signed the papers, paid the guy, and he gave us a form to take to the registry.

This was all like 6 years ago so I don't remember all the details, but I am pretty sure we only went to the registry once after marriage.

[hrdkore]

you need a marriage license, which you can get from any registry, and you can get married at city hall or find your own commissioner, who can file it or you can take it back to registry.

you will need witnesses to sign the marriage document

use this link to find commissioners

http://www.programs.alberta.ca/Livin...x?Ns=364&N=770

[Feruk]

What do you mean I can get married at City Hall? The website doesn't talk about this.

[Thaco]

if you use a commissioner they will take care of everything for you.

[ga16i]

I don't believe marriage at City Hall in Calgary is an option, at least not when I got married 5 years ago.

You're pretty much bang on with your description of the legal process.

- obtain marriage license from registry
http://www.servicealberta.ca/1149.cfm

I think you both have to show up for them to verify id, etc.

- receive license and registration of marriage
http://www.servicealberta.ca/1159.cfm

- find marriage commissioner
have a chat, discuss dates and payment

- day of marriage, could be their home, you can also have them travel to your venue
pay them and they fill out the registration and sends it off to the government
you will need witnesses (2) for this

- wait for marriage certificate
this document will be very useful when dealing with name changes

So, the answers to your questions according to my poor memory are:
- you both go to registry to apply for license, randomly contact whichever commissioner, set up time at their house, get married, but the marriage commissioner sends original to the government. Not you bringing something back to registry.
- doesn't matter who you pick, it's all legal
- you will need witnesses to fill out the marriage registration which takes place after the legal ceremony. This is the thing that you see people signing at weddings.

That's just the legal part, you're more than welcome to have all kinds of crazy "marriage ceremonies" above and beyond that.

[dannie]

No more city hall. You and your soon to be ex spouse attend a registry with photo id. The clerk will give you an application to fill in and bring back to them. It will take about 30 min or so. You both will sign the affidavit saying that everything is correct and that you aren't marrying a relative, you aren't drunk or crazy. You will leave the office with the licence in hand. It's good for 90 days in Alberta. You then call any of the marriage commissioners in whatever region and set up a time and date. Most will give you a rate dependant on what you are doing (ie rehearsal etc). Once you've settled on that, you guys and your witnesses will go, commissioner will marry you, you guys and all parties involved will sign and that's it. The commissioner takes care of the paperwork. If you require a government issued marriage certificate, you go to the registry approximate two weeks after the marriage and order one.

[ga16i]

Good point on the ordering of the marriage certificate part. I forgot that you actually had to do something to get that. Highly recommended if either one of you plan on changing names. Get the small version and carry it around especially when traveling and you don't have new travel documents and id with the new name.

Another note is that the Alberta license is only good for Alberta. It doesn't work if you plan on flying off to Cuba, heading into the Okanagan, going to the wrong side of Lloydminster or something.

[gkAeris]

step 1. go to registry, tell them you want to get married (both you and your fiancee needs to be there) you sign a piece of paper swearing you are not related blah blah blah ~$70
step 2. find a marriage commisioner, you literally go to their house, sign the piece of paper (you have to bring the registration from step 1), they will sign on the registration as well as another "certificate", (they usually can provide a witness too if you need) ~150-500$ depending on what you want....
step 3. bring certificate and registration to registry, pay again for offical government certificate...VIOLA you are now man and wife

i asked about city hall, from what everyone told me you can not get married there...you NEED a marriage commisioner.

mine was good and cheap if you want one, pm me for her contact.

[Feruk]

So how much is reasonable for a commissioner? No travel involved for them.

This whole thing sounds like a gigantic money grab. So stupid.

[dannie]

Usually around 200

[Thaco]

Originally posted by Feruk

This whole thing sounds like a gigantic money grab. So stupid.

welcome to married life..

[CompletelyNumb]

Originally posted by Feruk
So how much is reasonable for a commissioner? No travel involved for them.

This whole thing sounds like a gigantic money grab. So stupid.

$40 for license. $120 for simply having a commissioner fill out the forms with you, no formal wedding. $20 for marriage certificate.

Up to $300 to have them do a ceremony for a wedding.

Source: I'm getting married in 3 months.

[dannie]

Originally posted by CompletelyNumb



$40 for license. $120 for simply having a commissioner fill out the forms with you, no formal wedding. $20 for marriage certificate.

Up to $300 to have them do a ceremony for a wedding.

Source: I'm getting married in 3 months.

The license and certificate fees are wrong. Those are a base fee. There's service charges and gst on top of those. Marriage licence will be between $70-$95 and the certificate will be between $35-80 depending on rush service.

Also, I haven't heard of any marriage commissioners give that low of a price. Who are you using? The cheapest I've had dealings with retired this year and he was $180

[ga16i]

Originally posted by dannie




Also, I haven't heard of any marriage commissioners give that low of a price. Who are you using? The cheapest I've had dealings with retired this year and he was $180

I searched for Calgary marriage commissioner and found this:
http://www.calgarymarriagecommission...sioner_003.htm

He offers $120 for basic registration only. Judging by the rainbow scheme, he'll do same sex marriages as well. I haven't been keeping up, but I guess those are legal in Alberta as well.

[dannie]

Originally posted by ga16i


I searched for Calgary marriage commissioner and found this:
http://www.calgarymarriagecommission...sioner_003.htm

He offers $120 for basic registration only. Judging by the rainbow scheme, he'll do same sex marriages as well. I haven't been keeping up, but I guess those are legal in Alberta as well.

Fabulous! I will pass his name on. The other guy was epic at 180. Hopefully this guy is decent enough to refer people to.

[CompletelyNumb]

Originally posted by dannie


The license and certificate fees are wrong. Those are a base fee. There's service charges and gst on top of those. Marriage licence will be between $70-$95 and the certificate will be between $35-80 depending on rush service.

Useless Alberta website

Thanks for the clarification.

[dannie]

Originally posted by CompletelyNumb



Useless Alberta website

Thanks for the clarification.

I know.... it's crap lol