Marriages

Marriage Licences

You can apply for a marriage licence in-person at the Township Administration Building in Elmira. Please note: you will need to make an appointment to have your licence issued.  Appointments can be booked Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday between 9AM and 4PM. Please call the office at 519-669-6009 or email us to request an appointment.

Marriage licences can be issued a no more than ninety (90) days in advance of your intended date of marriage.

At least one of the two individuals getting married must submit the application-in person. Both applicants' original signatures must be on the application form, and applicants must bring two original pieces of government issued ID for each applicant with them at time of application.

The following ID will be accepted:

• Birth certificate
• Valid passport
• Valid driver's licence
• Canadian citizenship card
• Canadian government refugee travel document
• United States green card
• Indigenous status card
• Permanent residency card or record of immigrant landing
• Ontario Photo Card
• Citizenship card from any country
• Firearms Acquisition Certificate (FAC)
• Possession & Acquisition Licence (PAL)

We cannot accept Ontario health cards or social insurance number (SIN) cards as valid forms of identification.

The Township accepts government-issued identification from foreign countries. However, documents in a language other than English or French must be accompanied by a certified translation.

The cost for a marriage license is $140.00 at the time of application.  The Township accepts cash and debit.

For more information, please contact the Corporate Services department at 519-669-6009.  For a copy of the marriage licence application form, please visit our Applications, Forms, Licences and Permits page. 

Divorce within Canada

If either applicant has been divorced, the original or court-certified copy of the Decree Absolute or Certificate of Divorce must be submitted with the application. If you do not have your divorce certificate, you can get certified copies of these documents from the court that granted the divorce. Uncertified photocopies or facsimiles will not be accepted.

Divorce Outside of Canada

If a divorce has occurred outside of Canada, you must obtain authorization from the Office of the Registrar General prior to purchasing a marriage licence. Please be advised that the process may take at least four (4) to eight (8) weeks to get a foreign divorce recognized.

For more information, please visit Service Ontario. 

Marriage Ceremonies

The Township of Woolwich offers professional Officiants for Civil Marriage Ceremonies at your preferred time and location!

A Civil Marriage Ceremony is a dignified, non-denominational ceremony. The ceremony must adhere to the requirements of the Province of Ontario's Marriage Act, but can be otherwise customized to the wishes of the couple.

We have six Marriage Officiants ready to serve you. Please fill out the on-line ceremony request form or call 519-669-6009 to speak to our Ceremony Facilitator.  Please note that we accept Officiant requests up to one year in advance of the intended date of marriage.

Consider reserving a place to get married at one of the many beautiful natural and historic sites in Woolwich, or in one of our well-equipped facilities, such as the Breslau Community Centre.

Fees

• Council Chambers Ceremony (seating for up to 25 people)
  • During Business Hours - $250 + HST
  • Non-Business Hours - $350 + HST
• Your Preferred Location $350 + HST (locations outside of the Township can be accommodated, with advance notice)

The full amount is due up-front when the ceremony is booked.

Please note that evening ceremonies can be accommodated, subject to Officiant availability.

If you would like to purchase Township witnesses for your on-site ceremony in Council Chambers, at 24 Church Street West in Elmira, the cost is $25.00 + HST per witness.  Please note that this service is only available for ceremonies that occur in Council Chambers during regular business hours - 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.

For a full breakdown of fees and charges, please see our 2019 Fees and Charges By-law, Schedule A: Council and Information Services Fees.

For more information, or to schedule a marriage ceremony, please call 519-669-6009. You can also submit an online request for a marriage officiant by completing our online marriage ceremony request form. We require a minimum of 48-hours, or two business days, notice to ensure an officiant is available.

Visit Service Ontario for information from the Province of Ontario about getting married and obtaining a marriage certificate after your ceremony.