Continuing with my How to Plan a Wedding in Central Alberta series, today I’m making one of the most important parts of planning your wedding a little easier for you! I recently spoke with Janice Orr, one of Red Deer’s most sought after marriage commissioners and she has some tips and information for you about getting married!
Marriage Commissioners and important things to know!
Each couple that gets married in the province of Alberta must have a ceremony (religious or civil), an officiant to preform the ceremony and a marriage license.
An Alberta marriage license doesn’t require blood tests like some other provinces (or countries for destination weddings) and it’s valid for 3 months! A marriage license can be obtained at your local registry by you and your fiancé but take note, neither of you can be under the influence of alcohol when you’re applying for this legal document! You can read more about a marriage license and it’s requirements here!
Your ceremony, whether religious or not and regardless of the size, must be witnessed by 2 individuals that are over 18 and NOT under the influence of alcohol… are you sensing a theme here? Save the celebratory drinks for after all the life changing vows and promises you’re making on your wedding day! A marriage officiant or Minster can actually refuse to preform your ceremony if you’re under the influence. To read more about ceremony requirements, click here!
Now that we’ve covered the basics, Janice has some more tips to share with you that she’s collected in her 7 years as a marriage commissioner!
The Tips
- After you pick your date and secure your venue, it’s important to book your marriage commissioner. Often times MC’s (marriage commissioners)are left until last and and can’t accommodate a last minute booking. Some MC’s can preform 4 or MORE ceremonies a day in peak wedding season! Janice is currently booking into 2018 AND 2019!
- Schedule a sit down with your chosen MC! Make sure you actually like the person that’s going to be pronouncing you and your fiancé husband and wife and that you mesh well!
- Don’t send out your invites until you’ve secured a MC! It seems that every bride wants to have her ceremony at 2pm so make sure you finalize your date and time with your MC so you don’t have to reprint and resend your invites!
- Ask your MC questions! They’re there for you and have preformed MANY ceremonies!
Some questions you should be asking are:
What is the cost of the ceremony?
Do you charge mileage for travel?
Are you available for a rehearsal?
Can we personalize our ceremony?
Remember too that your wedding day is your day to celebrate your love with one another!
You can contact Janice Orr on Facebook
Or by phone / email
Res: 403-346-1833
Cell: 403-318-7637
E-mail: gjorrmc@gmail.com
Visit Service Alberta’s website for a complete list of Alberta’s marriage commissioners!
.
.
.
.
Hey!! If you’re recently engaged and planning a wedding and you like runners more than you like heels, pizza and beer over nightclubs or you wish that cake could be considered a food group of it’s own, then I’m your girl!
I’m currently booking a limited number of 2018 wedding dates!
Click this spot to send me an email! I promise it’ll be fun!
Leave a Reply
Be the first to comment