Marriage signing in Hamilton: the quick legal ceremony, step by step

A marriage signing is the shortest way to be legally married in Ontario: no guest list, no reception, just the legal part done properly. Couples choose it before a celebration abroad, alongside a religious or cultural ceremony that is not registered in Ontario, or simply because the party is the point. Here is how it works in Hamilton.

There is no paperwork-only marriage in Ontario

Even the shortest marriage is a ceremony. Ontario's Marriage Act requires the two of you to declare your consent in front of an authorized officiant and two witnesses, all physically present. So a signing is five people in a room, a few minutes of spoken words, and then the licence signed by everyone. It cannot be done by video, by proxy or by mail.

What you need

• A marriage licence. In Hamilton it costs $178. Apply in person at City Hall, 71 Main Street West, or a Municipal Service Centre; it is walk-in and usually takes about half an hour, with two pieces of ID each. The licence is valid for three months anywhere in Ontario. My licence guide covers every step.
• Two witnesses who understand what they are witnessing. The City of Hamilton asks that witnesses at its own ceremonies be at least 14.
• An authorized officiant: a City officiant, a member of the clergy, or a registered officiant like me.

There is no waiting period. With the licence in hand, a signing can often happen the same week.

Two ways to do it in Hamilton

At City Hall. The City Clerk's Office performs civil ceremonies at City Hall for $420 (HST included, $140 of it non-refundable), by appointment, Monday to Friday between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm. You first attend a mandatory consultation on a separate day, both of you, with your licence. The Marriage Ceremony Room holds 10 people including the officiant, the outdoor space on City Hall property 40. Bring your own witnesses or pay the City $35 each to provide them. No confetti, candles or decorations are allowed.

With a registered officiant, where you choose. My Simple Legal Service is $300: up to 25 minutes, every legal requirement of the Marriage Act, and your licence signed and filed. I come to you: your home, a backyard, a park, a restaurant. We settle the details by email or a short call. Travel is free within 25 km of Hamilton.

What happens on the day

1. A short welcome, so everyone knows why they are there.
2. Your declarations: each of you says, in front of your witnesses, that you take the other as your spouse.
3. The rings, if you have them.
4. The pronouncement.
5. The signing: the two of you, your two witnesses and me sign the licence.

The whole thing takes ten to twenty minutes. If you want a few personal words, a reading or vows of your own, they fit in easily; for a ceremony written around your story, that is the Signature Ceremony.

After the signing

You are married at the end of the ceremony. I send the signed licence to the Registrar General within two days, as Ontario's regulation requires. Any paper you are handed on the day, such as the City's Record of Solemnization, is a keepsake, not the legal record. About 8 to 12 weeks later you can order your marriage certificate online from ServiceOntario ($15), and that is the document to use for a passport, a name change or anything official.

Questions people ask

Can we have the big celebration later? Yes. You are legally married from the signing; the later celebration can be anything you like, and a vow renewal needs no licence.

Can a signing happen alongside a religious ceremony? Yes. If your religious or cultural ceremony is not registered in Ontario, a signing makes the marriage legal; I am glad to share the day with your minister, imam, rabbi or elder.

What if we have no witnesses? Tell me in advance and I will help you arrange them.

Ask about a signing and I will reply within one business day with my availability and a firm price. Planning something small but personal instead? Read eloping in Hamilton.