Category: Tips & Advice

One of the questions we get all the time is, “How much does a wedding officiant cost?” So let’s dive in and discuss the cost of a wedding officiant and why some charge more or less.

How much does a Young Hip & Married wedding officiant cost?

At Young Hip & Married, we believe in being very transparent with our costs. Head to our packages page to see the most up to date details of our current services and pricing.

If you have something else in mind, get in touch for a custom quote. Our customer service team would be more than happy to put something together for you!

What is the average cost for a wedding officiant?

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as an average cost for a wedding officiant. Every officiant or officiant company will charge differently based on their experience, location and what is included in their ceremony packages. Just like how wedding venue costs can vary greatly based on their included services and location, so too does the cost of a wedding officiant.

There are also different costs associated with the different types of people who can marry couples. Marriage commissioners and justices of the peace may charge a set amount, as dictated by the government, and religious leaders may officiate weddings based on donation or membership to a religious organization.

Why is the cost for a wedding officiant higher?

Generally speaking, the cost for a wedding officiant will be higher than the cost for a marriage commissioner or justice of the peace – just like getting married at a wedding venue will usually cost more than getting married at City Hall or in a judge’s chambers.

The wedding officiant cost is usually higher for a few reasons. Wedding officiants generally undergo specific training in how to officiate weddings – our Young Hip & Married officiants all go through the same training course and observe a Young Hip & Married wedding before officiating one of their own.

Wedding officiants often include more in their ceremony services than commissioners or justices do. In some instances, commissioners and justices are not allowed to make any changes to ceremony scripts and must use language dictated by the government, whereas officiants can write custom scripts for every couple.

Many officiant companies also have packages that include travel fees, wedding rehearsals and a team of staff members who help make sure every wedding ceremony goes off without a hitch!

For more on the difference between a wedding officiant and marriage commissioner, check out this post! 

But anyone can read a ceremony script! Why should we pay more for a wedding officiant?

Officiating a wedding is about so much more than reading off of a script. You have to command a room of 150 people during the most important moment of a couple’s life. You can’t mess up because there are no re-dos.

Officiants liaise with the wedding planner and DJ, connect with the couple and their guests in a way that is heartfelt, personal and humourous while also maintaining the seriousness of the moment, and keep the ceremony going even when things happen, like the wrong music gets played or the ring gets lost.

When you’re officiating a wedding, every moment is important and there is no room for error!

That’s not to mention all of the work that wedding officiants do before and after a wedding such as meeting with the couple to get to know them, interviewing the couple’s friends and family, writing a custom script that tells the couple’s love story, revising and editing the script, practicing the ceremony, getting in touch with the wedding planner, and filing the marriage licence. Plus there’s travel time, contracts, booking calendars and so much more. Phew!

All of our Young Hip & Married wedding officiants are experienced and professional. We have a back up team of officiants so that if something were to happen, someone else on the team could step in and get you married.

We also offer more than simple wedding officiant services. On our packages page, you’ll see we have different options for different types of ceremonies, from large-scale custom ceremonies to intimate elopements, as well as photography add-ons and adventure elopement upgrades (helicopter elopement anyone?).

Lastly, Young Hip & Married has a dedicated customer service team whose job it is to answer all of our couples’ questions, match them with the right officiant, get them booked and handle all of the paperwork. Our couples often tell us that the process of working with us could not be more simple or stress-free and that’s all thanks to our Customer Service Rockstars!

Is it worth spending more on a wedding officiant?

Of course, we’re biased. But we think the answer is a resounding YES!

As a company with 10+ years of experience officiating weddings across Canada and the US, we have amassed 1300+ reviews from our couples. Not a single couple has told us they regret booking or spending money on a wedding officiant.

Your wedding ceremony is a once in a lifetime experience. It is the moment when your marriage begins and the part of your wedding day that will stick with you forever. Why not invest some time and money into such an important part of your life?

They say the average wedding costs $30,000 – with Vancouver weddings costing $50,000 – $80,000. If you spend $900 on your wedding officiant, that’s still just 1-3% of your total wedding costs. Not a big investment for a hugely important part of your marriage!

At the end of the day, we’re on a mission to eradicate boring wedding ceremonies and help couples have fantastic marriages. We believe booking a wedding officiant and investing in your ceremony is one of the best ways to do that.

We believe couples should walk into their wedding ceremonies confident that the person marrying them is going to do a fantastic job and honour their relationship. We’ve all been to that wedding where you cringe, knowing the person talking just said something the couple doesn’t believe in. Or the ceremony where you catch yourself yawning, because the same old vows or readings are being recited again.

We want you to have a say in the words that start your marriage.

We want to help you write the best vows ever and select awesome readings that represent who you are.

We want to facilitate your wedding rehearsal so everyone feels confident and comfortable.

We want to tell your love story in a way that honours your values and has you and your guests crying, laughing and cheering for your love.

We want to take the stress out of your booking experience so you can focus on what really matters: your marriage!

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Still not sure if a wedding officiant is worth the cost? Read our reviews to see what other couples have to say!

Have questions or want to book a wedding officiant for your ceremony? Get in touch! 

So you’ve said your vows, cut the cake and danced the night away. The wedding festivities are all over – phew! But are they? What about the wedding announcement?

What is a wedding announcement?

A wedding announcement is a formal announcement letting people know that a wedding has taken place and you are married. Typically these are sent out as wedding announcement cards, similar to how you would send out a save the date or engagement announcement card. They are mailed to any loved ones who would be excited to learn of your recent nuptials.

Sometimes wedding announcements are published in the paper or posted on community bulletins. More modernly, they can also be posted online and on social media.

Most importantly: A wedding announcement is sent after a wedding has taken place to announce that it has happened.

Do you need a wedding announcement?

No, wedding announcements are not required. You do not have to send out a card or make a formal announcement letting your loved ones and community know that you’re married. They’re optional!

But if you need help deciding whether or not to send them, consider this:

A wedding announcement is (usually) unnecessary if…

• All of your loved ones were at your wedding, so no one needs an announcement card to hear that you got married since they saw it happen.
• You’re trying to save money and/or cut out unnecessary wedding tasks and paperwork.
• You don’t want to send announcements!

An announcement might be nice if…

• You had a destination wedding and not all of your friends and family could be there.
• You eloped or had a small wedding without all of your loved ones.
• You got married in secret and now want to share your news with your community.
• You have a lot of guests of an older generation who would appreciate this traditional touch.
• You want to send an announcement! Who doesn’t love a pretty keepsake?

What do you write in a wedding announcement card?

Here are 5 elements to include in your marriage announcement cards:

1. Your names. Very obviously, you want to start with your names so people know who got married. You’d be surprised how many people forget to include this!
2. When and where the wedding took place. It’s important to put your wedding date on your announcement so receivers don’t mistake it for an invitation to a future event.
3. The announcement. The actual announcement can just be a quick line such as, “We did it!” or “Just married!”
4. Photos. If you have them available, it’s great to include a photo or two from the wedding on your announcement card. Not only will your loved ones enjoy seeing you in your wedding outfits but this will also drive home the point that the wedding has already happened.
5. Happy ending. End your announcement with a line thanking your loved ones for their support and/or expressing how excited you are to celebrate with them when you see them next.

Optional elements:

If your wedding was hosted (aka paid for) by someone else, or someone else is sending out the marriage announcements on your behalf, it may be important to include this information in the card. For example, if your parents paid for the wedding or have chosen to pay and send the announcements, the card could read, “We’re thrilled to announce the marriage of our child, Cory, to…”

If you’re hosting a post-wedding event, you can use your announcement card to let loved ones know about it. You can include all of the details, turning your announcement card into an invitation, or simply include let them know about the event and follow up with a proper invite/evite at a later date.

You may also want to include a link to your wedding photos and/or video, if those are available. Your friends and family would love to see the highlights of your special day. Feel free to include a link to your photo gallery or even a QR code guests can scan that will bring them to the gallery page.

What NOT to include in an announcement:

Don’t ask for gifts. Just like you can’t include gift registry information on your wedding invite, you certainly can’t include it on your wedding announcement. While some loved ones may want to get you a gift to celebrate your nuptials, you shouldn’t expect gifts from people you didn’t invite to the wedding (actually you shouldn’t expect gifts from anyone!).

If someone follows up with you to ask about your registry, you can send it to them privately. But don’t include it on your announcement card.

Don’t share who attended the wedding. If you had a small wedding and only invited a few friends or family members, it can be awkward for people receiving your announcement to know they weren’t on your VIP list. So don’t include photos or names of your guests. Instead, keep the focus on you two!

Don’t feel bad – or make people feel bad. Whether you decided to elope and not invite anyone or your guests decided not to come, a wedding announcement isn’t the time to make anyone feel bad about their decision.

Don’t spend time apologizing or justifying your wedding choices (“We’re so sorry but we wanted to elope because…”) and don’t remind loved ones they didn’t attend (“If only you could’ve been there…”). Just keep the announcement positive and focus on celebrating your marriage, regardless of how the wedding guest list came together.

Don’t forget the wedding date. As we said above, including your wedding date is super important! If not, receivers may think your announcement is actually a wedding invite. That could make things a little bit awkward when they find out the wedding already happened and they weren’t invited.

When do you send announcement cards? 

Wedding announcement cards should be sent pretty soon after the wedding so your announcement is timely. It may be confusing for loved ones to receive your announcement six months after you tied the knot.

If you want to include wedding photos in your announcements, you may have to wait until your photographer has put together your gallery. While this can take some time, many photographs are able to provide sneak peeks in a much shorter timeframe. If you’re worried, ask your photographer if they can get a few photos ready for you sooner or have a guest take a few nice photos of you two.

Who gets a marriage announcement?

You can send your marriage announcement to anyone who would be excited to hear about your wedding! Typically, these cards go out to people who did not attend your wedding – as anyone who did attend wouldn’t need an announcement.

You could also consider only sending the cards out to loved ones who live farther away, who you wouldn’t be able to see in person, or to older relatives who would appreciate a formal announcement card.

How do you save money on announcement cards? 

To save money, consider sending postcard-style announcements on a single piece of paper. These can be ordered in bulk and some companies will even address, stamp and mail them for you. Because they’re only a single piece of paper, you cut down on mailing costs and don’t need envelopes.

Remember that you only need to send one announcement per household, not per person, and only to people who didn’t attend your wedding and would appreciate the traditional token. Not everyone in your life needs an announcement card.

You could also choose to email your announcements. Obviously this is a much more economical and eco-friendly option. It also makes it easier for you to share your news quickly and allows you to insert clickable links, such as a link to your wedding photos. However, email announcements are not as formal or traditional as paper announcements.

Lastly, save money by designing your marriage announcements yourself on something like Canva. Keep in mind that your invitation suite may include wedding announcements, so you may have already paid for them!

How and when do you announce a wedding on social media?

Besides paper or email wedding announcements, there’s also the issue of announcing your nuptials on social media for the online world to hear about. How and when should you do that?

Keep in mind that many couples share their wedding on social media in real time. While you probably won’t be doing TikTok dances down the aisle or going live on Instagram with your vows, you might post images from the reception or getting ready on your social accounts.

If you don’t want your wedding to be shared on social media, you need to make this very clear to your wedding party members, guests and vendors. While unplugged ceremonies are more common these days, not many wedding goers are used to a total social media sharing ban.

If you’re hosting a small or secret wedding, you’ll likely want to share your news with loved ones first before posting on social media. Don’t let grandma learn about your wedding on Facebook! Make a plan for how and when you’ll share your nuptials with your close loved ones in person (or at least by phone, email or message) before posting anything online. And once again, make sure any guests and vendors who are there are aware of your plan and keep your wedding off social media.

Once all of the important people in your life know that you’re married – either by attending the event or hearing the news directly from you – go ahead and post it on social media!

Remember, there’s no rush to post. You can share your wedding news online weeks or even months after the fact. Whenever you make your social media announcement, it will still be filled with lots of love and congratulations as the online world cheers you on!

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Will you be sending wedding announcements? 

PS: Don’t miss our FREE guide to writing the best wedding vows! 

Are you looking to add a personal touch and meaningful moment to your wedding day? Then you might want to consider adding a unity candle ceremony. Read on as we explore what a unity candle ceremony is, who the unity ceremony is right for, and what you need to have a unity candle wedding.

What is a unity candle ceremony? What is the meaning of a candle in a wedding ceremony? 

A unity candle ceremony is a short ritual done during the wedding ceremony to symbolize the joining of two people, or two families, into one. The meaning of a unity candle is to bring together two individuals forming a new family, and as a symbol of their bright future head.

Here’s how it works: Both members of the couple will light one candle each or receive lit candles from a loved ones. These candles are usually small and thin, like taper candles. Together, the couple will use their individual candles to light a third candle at the same time. This third candle, called the unity candle, is often larger and wider, like a votive candle.

While the candles are being lit, the couple’s officiant will explain the significance of the unity tradition and wedding candles to guests. They may also invite guests to take part in the ceremony (more on that below!).

Sample unity candle script: unity candle ceremony wording with mothers

A popular choice is to involve the mothers of the couple in the unity candle ceremony. Here is a unity candle ceremony script that you can use for your wedding that involves mum!

Officiant: Loved ones, we gather here to witness a special moment in the lives of [Couple’s Names]. Today, they come together not only as individuals but as a united couple, ready to embark on the journey of marriage. In this unity candle ceremony, we symbolize the joining of their two lives with the participation of their mothers.

(Officiant motions for mothers to step forward with their candles)

The lighting of these individual candles represents the unique light that each [Couple’s Names] brings into this marriage. They each come from their own families, with their own histories, traditions, and experiences.

Mother of Partner 1: (Steps forward and lights a taper candle)

Officiant: The taper candle lit by Partner 1’s mother represents all the love, wisdom, and guidance she has bestowed upon her child throughout her life.

Mother of Partner 2: (Steps forward and lights a taper candle)

Officiant: The taper candle lit by Partner 2’s mother symbolizes the love, care, and support she has shared with her child as they have grown into the person they are today.

(Mothers pass their lit candles to their children. Together, the couple uses their individual candles to light the unity candle.)

Officiant: As Partner 1 and Partner 2 now take their individual candles and join them to light the unity candle, they symbolize the merging of their families and the creation of a new one.The two flames coming together as one represents the love, strength, and unity they now bring to each other and to this marriage.

May the light of this unity candle shine brightly, guiding [Couple’s Names] on their journey together, surrounded by the love and blessings of their families. As they move forward as partners in life, may they always remember the support and foundation of love that their mothers have provided.

More unity candle ceremony script examples: 

Need more ideas for what a wedding officiant should say during a candle ceremony? Check out these great candle ceremony script examples below:

• Example #1 by Wedding Ceremony Pro
• Example #2 by Get Ordained
• Example #3 by A Blue Ridge Wedding
• Example #4 by Officiant Eric

You could also choose to use this popular unity candles poem by Harold Douglas. Your officiant could read this poem or you could ask a special guest to read it while you conduct the candle ceremony.

“Soft mists embrace two golden flames,
Alone they search the night.
Two souls adrift in dreams of love,
They seek to claim the light.
The path is long from which they came,
But sure they are it’s right.
Two flames embrace in dreams of love,
Two Souls – Two Hearts Unite.”

What do you need for a unity candle ceremony?

While planning your candle service, make sure you have:

1. Unity candles: You’ll need three candles for this ceremony, two taper candles for each member of the couple and one votive candle for them to light together. You can buy unity wedding candles in a bundle of three or DIY them by buying each candle separately. Hint: You may want to buy a back up candle or two just in case!
2. Lighter: After all, you’ll need something to light the candles with! It’s also a good idea to have a back up lighter in case one doesn’t work or goes missing.
3. Table: The candle service is usually set up on a small table to the side of the couple at the front of the ceremony. Chat with your venue about what kind of table they have available.
4. (op) Table decor: Some couples choose to decorate their wedding candle table with flowers, candle holders, etc.
5. Permission from your venue! Don’t forget to get permission from your venue to hold a candle ceremony. Some venues have strict rules against open flames.

If you’re planning a unity ceremony, you’ll also want to loop in your wedding planner and wedding officiant. They’ll need to know when the ceremony is happening, what is being said, who is bringing the supplies and setting them up, and who is taking the candle home.

What if my venue doesn’t allow candles?

If your venue doesn’t allow candles or open flames, you still have lots of unity ceremony options. Check out our list below of other ideas for unity services that don’t involve candles.

If the candle ceremony is very important to you, you could do it at another time and place on your wedding day. For example, if your reception venue allows candles, you could do it there before your first dance. Or you could do it at your first look location.

Another option would be to use flameless candles during your unity ceremony. Of course, these candles won’t have quite the same affect as you won’t be able to use the two individual candles to light the unity candle. But you could try a slight of hand (pretending that you’re lighting the third while slyly turning it on), have someone in the audience turn on the unity candle remotely (and secretly!), or get in on the joke and switch on the unity candle together (giving you and your guests a quick laugh!).

How do you do a wedding candle ceremony outdoors?

A unity wedding candle ceremony may sound nice until you’re dealing with wind or rain that keeps blowing out the candles at your outdoor wedding! What to do?

If you’re set on using candles, look into covers that allow the candles to stay lit but protect them from the elements. You could also keep your large votive candle inside a lantern or under a protective covering, reaching in to light it during the ceremony.

Don’t test Mother Nature by lighting your candles at the beginning of the ceremony and hoping they stay lit throughout. Instead, plan your candle service for the very end of your wedding ceremony and light the candles as quick as possible.

Of course, you can always go with a non-candle unity ceremony that might be easier to pull off for an outdoor wedding. Check out a few of our favourite ideas below!

Who is involved in the unity ceremony?

At the most minimal, a unity candle ceremony involves the couple of the hour and their officiant. However, you can involve other family members and friends, or even your entire wedding guest list!

Traditionally, the taper candles that each partner holds are handed to them by their mothers. This signifies the joining of two families, since the couple’s moms hand them their individual candles. It’s also a nice way to involve mom in the ceremony, as traditionally only the father of the bride is involved.

Of course, you don’t have to give mom this role! You can have any member of your family or friend group hand you your candle as a symbol of your background and the love you come from.

You could also tweak the candle ceremony to involve all of your guests. One popular way to do this is by handing every guest an unlit candle when they walk into the ceremony. Once the couple has lit their unity candle, they will then turn to their guests and light one guest’s candle with the unity candle. That guest will use their candle to light the next guest’s candle and so on until every guest’s candle is lit.

As you can imagine, this makes for a beautiful photograph – the entire ceremony lit up by candle light. However, it can be a bit of a logistical nightmare. It can take a very long time to light that many candles and there’s the obvious fire hazard. If you want to go with this option, talk it over with your planner and venue before proceeding.

For less risky ways to involve your guests in your wedding ceremony, click here! 

When does the candle ceremony take place? 

The unity candle tradition usually takes place towards the end of the ceremony, after the vows and ring exchange, but before the pronouncement and first kiss. Talk with your wedding officiant about exactly where in the ceremony you’d like the unity candles to take place.

What other unity ceremonies should we consider? 

Looking for more unity ceremony ideas? Check out a few of our favourites below and this post for more unity ceremony ideas!

• Rose ceremony: In a rose ceremony, the couple exchange a single red rose after exchanging vows and rings, as their first gift to one another as newlyweds. While doing this, their officiant will speak about the symbolism of the red rose.
• Handfasting: In this Celtic tradition, the couple’s hands are tied together to signify their commitment – and literally tying the knot! Learn more about handfasting here.
• Sand ceremony: Each member of the couple will pour a different colour of sand into a jar at the same time, or taking turns. This makes a beautiful keepsake and symbolizes two people joining together to create something beautiful.
• Anniversary time capsule: In this unity tradition, the couple will create a time capsule to open on their first wedding anniversary. During the ceremony, the couple or their officiant will add things to the time capsule, such as love letters written to one another and other tokens of love.
• Beer or wine blending: Instead of mixing sand, why not mix a drink? For couples who love an adult beverage, have fun with a unity ceremony that involves mixing two types of beer or two types of wine. You can then drink from the mixed glass or bottle it and save it for your anniversary!
• Tree planting: Symbolize how you will nurture your love and help it grow by planting a tree together. You can each take turns adding dirt to the potted tree or to a spot in your backyard.
• Take a shot!: Nothing says unity like your first shot together as newlyweds, right? Officiant Beth had the pleasure of presiding over a ceremony that ended with the grooms handing out shot glasses and inviting all of their guests to take a shot with them!
• Paint blending: Similar to the sand ceremony, each member of the couple will have a small jar with a different colour of paint. Together or taking turns, you’ll pour your jar onto a canvas to create a beautiful piece of art that can hang in your home. Just be careful not to get paint on your wedding outfits!
• Family bouquet: Officiant Shawn presided over a unity ceremony perfect for blended families. Each member of the family brought forward a different flower as Shawn described how the flower they chose represented them. They then put their flower into a vase, creating a beautiful family bouquet.

No matter what you choose, your unity ceremony should embrace your interests and be something meaningful to you two!

Do we have to include a unity ceremony in our wedding?

Nope! While some couples choose to add a unity ceremony or unity wedding candles to their day, all unity traditions are absolutely optional.

As with anything you add to your ceremony, we believe you should only include elements that are meaningful to you, your partner or your families. If you don’t feel connected to a unity ceremony or don’t see the value in it, go ahead and skip it!

There are lots of other ways for you to still add meaning and personalization to your wedding without a unity candle ceremony. Our favourite way? Writing your own vows! Click here to get our FREE guide to writing kick-butt wedding vows!

Whether you’re the couple getting married or a friend who’s been given the honour, the idea of saying a wedding toast or speech makes most people pretty nervous! It’s tough to be funny, sentimental and engaging without telling an embarrassing story or putting everyone to sleep. No one wants to bomb their wedding toast!

Below we’re sharing our top tips for how to structure your speech and ensure it doesn’t suck. Plus, we’ll let you know the ideal wedding speech order, when speeches should happen and who actually should be giving a toast at the wedding!

What is a good wedding toast?

A good wedding toast or wedding speech is the perfect balancing act. It’s not too short or too long, it’s not boring but it’s not just jokes, and it’s sentimental without being overly emotional.

In order to write a good wedding toast, you want to put some thought into your speech ahead of time. Plan what you’re going to say and practice your delivery; don’t just wing it! If you’re the couple getting married, choose speakers who are responsible, comfortable in front of a crowd and know you well.

For more tips, check out our guides to writing a mother of the groom wedding speech, best man speech, father of the groom rehearsal dinner speech, wedding ceremony toast, and bride and groom (or couple getting married) speech.

Who should give a wedding toast?

Whoever you want! Ultimately it is up you, the couple getting married, to decide who will speak on your wedding day. Choose speakers who know you well and are meaningful in your life or in your relationship. If you’re having multiple speakers, it can be nice to choose people from different stages of your life, such as a sibling, who has known you forever, and a more recent friend, who spends a lot of time with you now.

You’ll also want to make sure the people you choose to give speeches are comfortable speaking in front of a crowd. Even if they don’t have much speaking experience, they should at least be open to practicing and not be at risk of passing out from nerves. They should also be people you trust will take the time to write and practice their toast ahead of the big day.

Who traditionally gives toasts for weddings?

Traditionally, toasts for weddings are given by the father of the bride, the groom and the best man. But if you think it’s odd that only men get to speak at this event, you’re not alone! There’s no reason you need to follow the traditional speech options. You can include more, different and/or non-male speakers in your wedding day.

Who gives the welcome to wedding speech?

The welcome to wedding speech, or welcome toast, is traditionally given by the host of the wedding as the first speech of the night. In the speech, the speaker will welcome everyone to the wedding and thank them for attending.

Traditionally, the host was the bride’s family, as they were paying for the wedding. Therefore, the father of the bride would give the wedding welcome speech. However, many modern weddings are paid for by both families and the couple, meaning there are multiple hosts.

In this case, the wedding welcome speech could be given by both families, where you ask each set of parents to take a quick turn at the mic. The welcome toast could also be given by the couple themselves, welcoming everyone to their wedding and thanking their parents for their help. Check out our resource for writing an awesome couple’s wedding speech!

If the wedding is being hosted (i.e. paid for) by multiple parties, whoever gives the welcome speech should be sure to include everyone in their warm welcome. For example, if the couple is speaking, they might say, “We want to thank our parents for helping to make this night possible. And together with our families we want to welcome you all to our wedding day and thank you for being here!”

How many speeches should happen at a wedding? 

Traditionally, only three speeches would be given at a wedding reception (father of the bride, groom, best man). But in most modern weddings, many more people are invited to speak.

While there’s no perfect number, we would advise not scheduling too many speeches. Not only will your guests get bored, tired and hungry having to listen to so many speeches, but the content may begin to feel repetitive. We suggest aiming for no more than 6 short speeches during your wedding reception.

If you have more people who would like to speak, consider some alternatives. You could ask people to team up and give a speech, such as asking your parents to speak together or your wedding party members. You could move some speeches to the rehearsal dinner, such as the traditional father of the groom rehearsal dinner speech. Or you could give these honoured guests other special wedding day roles, such as a reader or usher at your ceremony.

Wedding toast vs wedding speech: What’s the difference?

You may have noticed that we’ve used both “wedding toast” and “wedding speech” throughout this blog post. And that’s because these terms are used interchangeably. In most cases, there’s no difference between a wedding toast and a wedding speech – they are the same thing.

However, we suggest using the term “toast” when asking your loved ones to speak at your wedding. A toast sounds much less intimidating than a speech, so may put nervous speakers at ease. It also sounds shorter than a speech and like it should end with everyone raising their glass, which is exactly what you want!

A casual wedding toast > a stuffy wedding speech!

Wedding toast order: What is the right wedding speech order?

The traditional wedding speech order is:

1. Bride’s father
2. Groom
3. Best Man

In this traditional sequence, the bride’s father welcomes everyone to the wedding he paid for, the groom thanks the bride’s father and the best man lightens things up with a joke.

Of course, a more modern version of the wedding speech order might look like:

1. Parents of the couple
2. Couple
3. Wedding party members

But remember: There is no one right way to organize your wedding speeches! You can use the speech order above or rearrange the speakers into an order that works better for you.

Many couples choose to speak first or last, as it may feel odd to speak in the middle. By speaking first, the newlywed couple can thank everyone for attending and thank their “wedding donors” for making the day possible. Plus, they don’t have to worry about getting emotional through the other speeches, since they won’t have to take the mic again. By speaking last, the couple can thank everyone else for speaking and wrap up the toasts.

Tip: If you’ll be having alcohol at your reception, we suggest putting any booze-friendly speakers towards the beginning of your reception. That way, you’ll ensure they’re not drunk by the time they pick up the mic!

When should the wedding toasts happen?

Not only will you need to decide who speaks and in what order, but you’ll also have to choose when speeches will take place during your reception. If you’re working with a wedding planner, definitely get their advice.

Wedding speeches can occur before, during and/or after dinner. Some couples choose to do all the speeches at once and others prefer to break them up. There’s no one right way to organize this, but there are some factors to consider:

• If you keep all the speeches together, your guests may grow tired of hearing speaker after speaker. But if you break them up, you may mess with the flow of the evening if guests are busy talking to one another.
• If you do all of the speeches before dinner, your speakers won’t be drunk yet (hopefully!), your guests and speakers are free to enjoy dinner, and everyone can head straight to the dance floor afterwards. However, your guests may get really hungry waiting through speeches for dinner to start.
• If you put all of the speeches after dinner, no one will be hungry, but you risk your speakers drinking too much during dinner and your guests getting bored because they have to sit for so long.
• If you do speeches during dinner, your speakers may not have a chance to eat and your guests may feel their dinner conversation is being constantly interrupted. But at least no one is sitting there bored!

How long should a wedding toast be?

The last thing you want is for all of your guests to fall asleep as a speaker drones on and on, losing the room and killing the energy. When it comes to wedding toasts, less is definitely more!

Speeches should be on the short side – no more than five minutes. Ensure you’re telling every speaker that they only have five minutes or else the whole night will get pushed back. Guests will be eagre to eat, drink or dance, so you don’t want speeches to run long.

Tip: It may be better to tell speakers their wedding toast should only be 3 minutes long, but allow for 5 minutes in your wedding day schedule. That way, you have built in buffer time for any speeches that run long. You’ll also want to account for extra time for applause, speakers getting to the mic, technical difficulties, etc.

3 things couples need to do when planning wedding toast speakers

Before we turn it over to the speech-givers, a few tips for the newlyweds-to-be when planning your wedding speeches:

1. Decide on your chosen speakers early and give them lots of notice to accept the speaking position, write and practice their speech.
2. Give your speakers clear instructions about how long their speech should be (apx 3-5 mins) and any topics that are off-limits.
3. Let your speakers know when in the evening they will be speaking and have your wedding planner give them a 10 minute heads up so they are ready to go.

10 toast ideas for wedding speeches that won’t suck!

Couples, feel free to send the below list to all of your wedding speakers.

All right, wedding speakers, this list is for you! Below we’re sharing our top 10 tips for how to structure, write and deliver your wedding toast. Let’s write a wedding speech that doesn’t suck!

1. Start early. Don’t wait until the week before or day of to write your speech. Start working on your wedding toast weeks or months in advance. Make sure you’re sticking to the couple’s guidelines, especially when it comes to how long your speech should be. Keep it short and sweet!
2. Write it down. Don’t try to memorize your wedding toast. Odds are you’ll be nervous (and maybe a few drinks in), so there’s a good chance you forget everything and have to wing it. Go the extra mile and write your speech down on paper instead of reading it off of your phone. That way it won’t look like you’re just checking your email in all of the wedding photos!
3. Practice. Even though you’ll have your wedding speech written down, you still need to practice and get comfortable saying it out loud. The more comfortable you are with your words, the more you’ll be able to naturally connect on the big night.
4. Avoid taboo topics. No one wants a cringe-worthy wedding toast! Avoid any topics that might embarrass or upset the couple or their guests, such as family drama, politics/religion, exes and stories where they’re under the influence.
5. Avoid inside jokes. As a close loved one of the couple, you probably have a ton of inside jokes and you may want to show off your close bond during your speech. However, we suggest saving those for another time. While your wedding toast can be funny, a bunch of inside jokes will only fall flat and alienate all of the other guests.
6. Avoid alcohol. If possible, wait until after your speech to start helping yourself to the open bar. A quick sip for liquid courage might be okay but if you’re seeing double, you’ve gone too far. You can also give your wedding toast without alcohol; raise a mocktail or glass of soda instead!
7. Introduce yourself. Start your wedding speech off by introducing yourself and your relationship to the couple. However, you don’t need to thank everyone for coming unless you’re the host or it’s your wedding.
8. Focus on only a few main points. Your wedding speech should focus on just 1-3 aspects of the person or couple, not absolutely everything you know about them. Hone in on 1-3 characteristics you want to share and tell a story that illustrates those points.
9. Address both members of the couple. Remember, just because you’re best friends with or related to one member of the couple, doesn’t mean you can spend your whole speech only talking about them. Sure, your sister can be the main focus, but you’ll also want to include the person she’s marrying in your wedding speech!
10. Raise your glass of wedding toast champagne! Don’t forget to ask people to raise their glass! Too many wedding speeches launch right into a “Cheers!” without giving guests a chance to get their glasses first. Instead, end your speech by saying something like, “Let’s all raise a glass to the newlyweds. I couldn’t be happier for you two and I love you both so much. Cheers!”

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Ready to write your wedding toast? We hope so! Speaking of words at weddings, it all starts with a custom and creative wedding ceremony that is personalized to you. Check out our wedding ceremony packages and get in touch to book your wedding officiant today! 

CHECK OUT MORE OF OUR WEDDING SPEECH RESOURCES:

• 4 Mother of the Groom Wedding Speech Samples
• Father of the Groom Rehearsal Dinner Speech Samples
• How to Write Your Wedding Speech as the Mother of the Bride
• How to Write Your Wedding Speech as the Father of the Bride
• How to Write an Incredible Best Man Speech
• 5 Maid of Honor Speech Examples
• 12 Tips for Wedding Readers
• The Ultimate Wedding Toast Guide
• How to Write A Killer Bride or Groom Wedding Speech

As elopement officiants, we love that more and more couples are choosing intimate adventure weddings and outdoor elopements. There’s nothing better than marrying a couple in the middle of the forests of Stanley Park, by a glacial lake, or on the top of a mountain during a helicopter elopement.

And while we love showing off the most beautiful parts of our country, we also want to ensure those places stay beautiful for a very long time. That’s why we’re so passionate about following the principles of Leave No Trace and ensuring that every outdoor elopement is safe, sustainable and respectful.

What is Leave No Trace? 

Leave No Trace is a concept focused on limiting our impact on the outdoors so the environment can be sustained for generations to come. As the name implies, there should be no trace of our outdoor activities once they’re completed.

The international organization behind Leave No Trace explains, “The organization accomplishes its mission by providing innovative education, skills, research and science to help people care for the outdoors. By working with the public and those managing public lands, Leave No Trace focuses on educating people—instead of costly restoration programs or access restrictions—as the most effective and least resource-intensive solution to land protection.”

Applying Leave No Trace to your outdoor elopement

Leave No Trace provides seven core principles that anyone visiting the great outdoors can use as a framework to help lessen their impact. Below, we’re sharing how six of the seven principles could apply to your outdoor elopement. (Yes, we skipped one – only because we doubt your outdoor elopement will have a campfire!)

Plan ahead and prepare

This LNT principle is probably the most important one for couples planning an outdoor elopement. Planning ahead and preparing are going to be the key to keeping you and the environment safe.

First things first, know where you’re going and get specific. Instead of just deciding on a park, choose the actual trail and drop a Google Maps pin on the exact area where you want your elopement to take place.

Not familiar with the area? If you’re local, visit the location ahead of your elopement and scope it out. Or, if you’re not local, check out our Vancouver elopement locations and ask your wedding officiant for some advice. At the very least, agree on a specific spot where you’ll meet your officiant and photographer before heading in.

Do some research on your chosen area. Do you need a park pass or permit? Do you need to make a reservation? How busy does your chosen spot get during your elopement time? Will it be difficult to access? And don’t forget to take stock of your own abilities too: Will you be able to walk, hike or climb to your desired area safely? Keep in mind that you may be wearing your wedding outfit at the time!

Travel on durable surfaces

The second principle of LNT is to travel (and camp) on durable surfaces. This is important so that you and your elopement wedding vendors stay safe. No one wants to start sliding off a cliff mid wedding vow!

Many of our outdoor elopements happen at easily accessible parks, beaches or valleys. But if you’re looking to go off the beaten path, make sure you’re keeping safety top of mind. For example, with our helicopter elopements, we always follow the advice of our experienced pilots and only go where they say we can safely venture.

Another big piece of surface safety is factoring in your footwear. While you might usually camp and trek in hiking boots or running shoes, you may be wearing different footwear for your wedding that could endanger you or your surroundings. If you’re planning to wear less secure footwear, look for a more easily accessible area (e.g. with a flat or paved path) or consider changing into your wedding shoes once you arrive.

Dispose of waste properly

Everything you pack in for your outdoor wedding needs to be packed out. Not only does this ensure the next visitors to that area will be able to use and appreciate it, but it also keeps the environment safe from unnatural debris.

After your wedding, the space should look exactly the same, or better, than how you found it. This means packing out all of the decor you brought in, like arches, chairs and flower vases. It also means ensuring any waste you created is fully removed and properly disposed of.

Wedding waste is a huge problem; so many wedding items are created and used for only one day. Cut back on this by saying no to single-use items and looking at alternatives, like renting or second-hand products. With an elopement, you’ll naturally cut down on wedding items anyway, which can help reduce waste.

And for any wedding waste you do create, make sure you’re getting rid of it properly. Research proper disposal methods and commit to reusing, recycling or composting as much as you can.

Leave what you find

As important as it is to pack out what you pack in, it’s just as important to only take out what you brought in. Everything you find in nature should remain there.

We understand that you may want to have a special token or marker of your outdoor elopement. You may have envisioned carving your names into a tree or taking a special rock home with you. But the principles of Leave No Trace encourage you to leave all of the natural elements you find exactly as they are.

While taking just one rock may not seem like a big deal, what happens if everyone does that? Suddenly, the landscape changes. Not only does this make a spot less enjoyable for future visitors, but it may make it less habitable for the wildlife that live and grow there. Plus, it may make the area unsafe if, for example, those rocks were used to hold soil together or block a water source.

So instead of taking a physical marker of your outdoor wedding, we hope you’ll take only photos and memories!

Respect wildlife

While it can be exciting to spot wildlife during your outdoor elopement, a wildlife spotting can quickly become dangerous if visitors are not respectful. In recent years, parks around Vancouver have had to deal with habituated bears and coyote attacks that ultimately ended in the closure of parks and deaths of the animals.

Respect wildlife by keeping a safe distance from any animals you spot and following all safety regulations in the area. Remember that while a bear in the back of your elopement photos might sound pretty cool, this is the bear’s home. Encroaching on the bear’s space or trying to lure them with food not only puts you in danger, but may endanger others and ultimately end in the bear’s death.

Remember too that wildlife extends beyond animals to plants and minerals. Respect what naturally grows in an area by staying on marked paths and keeping in mind previous principles to not remove or leave anything behind.

Bottom line: We have to share the great outdoors with all the wildlife that calls it home. Let’s show them some respect.

Be considerate of other visitors

Finally, you’ll want to keep other outdoor visitors in mind when planning your elopement. Especially if you are getting married in a public or shared space, it’s important to remember that everyone has a right to enjoy the area (even if it is your wedding day).

For couples interested in eloping outdoors at popular beaches or parks, we always recommend scheduling your elopement for an off-peak time. It’s a lot easier to find a quiet area on the Vancouver Seawall on a Monday morning than a Saturday afternoon.

We also recommend choosing areas slightly off the beaten path that don’t get as much foot traffic. This allows you to have a more intimate and private moment for your elopement while not bothering many other visitors.

Another way to be considerate of others is to leave your elopement area better than you found it so the next visitors can enjoy it as much as you did. Remove your waste and ensure nothing that you set up harms the environment or others’ enjoyment.

Want to do more to lessen the impact and increase the good of your outdoor elopement? 

Want to do even more to lessen the environmental impact of your elopement and maybe even do some good with your nuptials? Amazing! Here are a few ideas to take your Leave No Trace philosophy to the next level:

• Learn about whose land you are getting married on. A great way to show respect for the place where you’re getting married is to learn about its history. Find out what Indigenous groups call your elopement location home and consider adding a land acknowledgement to your ceremony.
• Make a donation to an ecological organization. Increase the positive impact of your wedding by making a donation to an environmental cause of your choosing. You could also ask friends and family to make donations in your name in lieu of wedding gifts.
• Volunteer. Research local organizations and spend some time volunteering to benefit the environment. Whether you’re picking up waste from the beach or planting trees, you’ll feel an extra special connection to your outdoor elopement.
• Make the rest of your wedding eco-friendly. Don’t just stop at your elopement ceremony – you can make the rest of your wedding festivities low/zero waste too! You can send e-vites instead of paper invites, wear sustainable clothing, enjoy a locally sourced meal, and implement many more zero waste wedding ideas.
• Practice LNT principles every time you’re outdoors. The best way to increase the good of your outdoor elopement is to continue practicing the principles of Leave No Trace every time you go outdoors. Help sustain the environment around you wherever you are in the world!

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Book your wedding officiant for your outdoor elopement today! 

 

Have you ever been to a wedding ceremony and seen the wedding officiant pull out a rope and tie the couple’s hands together? Well, you just witnessed a handfasting ceremony! But what is a handfasting ceremony and should you include handfasting in your wedding? Let’s find out!

What is a handfasting ceremony? 

First things first, what is handfasting? Handfasting (also spelled “hand-fasting”) is a unity tradition that takes place during a wedding ceremony. The wedding officiant will wrap cords or ropes around the couple’s joint hands, tying them together, to represent their union. It’s a symbolic representation of binding two people together in marriage – and a way for couples to literally tie the knot!

Handfasting can be done with ropes, cords, ribbons or other similar materials. Generally, handfasting vows are spoken by the couple while the ropes are being tied or their wedding officiant will speak words over the tradition from a handfast ceremony script.

Where did the handfasting ceremony come from?

Handfasting is a Celtic ritual dating back to 7000 BC. However, in ancient Ireland, handfasting was used to mark an engagement, not a wedding. When a couple wanted to get engaged, they would visit a priest who would conduct a handfasting ceremony with them. This would be the couple’s public declaration of their intent to marry and their hands would stay tied until midnight.

After a year of engagement, the couple would revisit the priest and either move forward with their wedding or choose to part ways and find new romantic partners.

Handfasting is also seen in ancient Viking wedding traditions, traditional pagan weddings and Wiccan marriage celebrations. But nowadays, couples from all cultures are choosing to include hanfasting in their wedding ceremony.

What happens during a handfasting ceremony?

Typically a handfast ceremony will follow this order:

1. Your wedding officiant presents the cords for handfasting and explains to your guests what handfasting is all about.
2. You and your partner will join hands. Some couples choose to cross both hands (your right hand takes their right hand, then your left hand takes their left hand) while others join one hand each, but you can join hands however is most comfortable for you.
3. Your wedding officiant will read from their handfasting ceremony script as they tie the cords around your wrapped hands. Traditionally, three cords are braided together but you can choose to use more cords or just one. Note, you may also have a guest of honour perform this part of the ceremony.
4. (optional) You and your partner can exchange special handfasting vows while your hands are joined together.

When should handfasting take place during a wedding ceremony?

Handfasting usually takes place towards the end of your wedding ceremony and typically before the ring exchange. However, you can work with your officiant to come up with the best timing for you when you outline your ceremony. Keep in mind who will be involved in the handfasting ceremony and how long you’ll be comfortable not being able to scratch your nose!

You could also save handfasting for another time, such as your engagement party or vow renewal.

When do you get to take the handfasting cords off? 

Good question! While ancient couples stayed tied up until midnight, you’ll likely want a bit more freedom than that to enjoy your wedding day with both hands.

Most modern couples remove the cords for handfasting immediately after the handfast ceremony is over or at the end of their wedding ceremony. In order to maintain the symbolism, it’s recommended that you try to slip out of the knots, rather than untie them. If that’s important to you, make sure you tell the person tying the cords around your hands not to make them too tight!

What handfasting vows do you say during the ceremony?

Handfasting vows can be exchanged by the couple while their hands are joined or spoken by the wedding officiant presiding over the handfasting ceremony.

For example, your wedding officiant could say,

“This cord of ribbons symbolizes so much. It is your life, your love and the eternal connection that the two of you have found with one another. The ties of this handfasting are not formed by these ribbons or even by the knots connecting them. They are formed instead by your vows, by your pledge, your souls and your two hearts, now bound together as one.”– Source: For This Joyous Occassion

For more pagan wedding vows, check out this link!

If you wish to exchange handfasting vows with your partner while your hands are joined, you could say,

“Upon this day, our hands we bind,
A symbol of our hearts entwined.
To witness this, we ask of thee,
Our union forever blessed be.”
– Author Unknown

Or you could say,

“Across the years I will walk with you
in deep green forests; on shores of sand.
And when our time on earth is through,
in heaven, too, you will have my hand.”
– Robert Sexton, The Promise

You may also choose to exchange your regular wedding vows during your handfasting ceremony. For more vow inspiration, check out our list of traditional vows, modern vows and FREE vow guide for writing your own personal vows!

Should you include handfasting in your wedding ceremony?

If the symbolism or cultural tradition of handfasting is important to you, your spouse or your families, you may want to include it in your wedding ceremony. As always, we believe you should only include things in your ceremony that are meaningful to you and feel authentic to who you are.

If you’re not sure if you should include handfasting or have never seen it done before, we encourage you to talk with your wedding officiant. They may have experience with handfasting and be able to offer some perspective. You could also watch videos of handfasting ceremonies online to get an idea of what yours could look like.

How can you make a handfasting ceremony meaningful to you?

We’re all about adding meaning to your wedding ceremony by personalizing it as much as possible. Here are some ways you can make handfasting and tying the knot unique to you:

• Involve family members or close friends. Instead of having your wedding officiant tie the cords around your hands, you could ask a family member or close friend to do it. You could even have a few special guests involved, each tying a separate cord around your hands. Just make sure everyone knows not to tie them too tight!
• Use special cords. Bring more meaning to your handfasting ceremony by using a special cord or handfasting ribbon, such as one used by other family members at their weddings. You could also use a cord made out of special fabric, such as grandma’s wedding dress, or purchase a cord in specific colours, such as the colours of your home country’s flag.
• Exchange vows. Handfasting becomes so much more meaningful when you take the time to exchange vows while your hands are joined. You could even come up with a vow or promise for each cord that is tied around your hands. Check out our vow resources above!
• Display the cords as a keepsake. Assuming you were able to successfully remove your hands from the cords without undoing any of the knots, you could then display the tied cords in your home. It could be your everyday reminder of the love that ties you two together.

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Whether it’s handfasting or another unity tradition, your Young Hip & Married wedding officiant will help you design a custom wedding ceremony that’s true to you two. Get in touch to learn about our ceremony packages and book your officiant today! 

Did you recently get married and live in Ontario? Congratulations! For many couples, the next step after marriage is changing their last name. But how do you actually change your last name in Ontario after you’re married?

Good question! Below we’ll walk you through your last name options, all the paperwork and everything you need to know to start using your brand new married name.

Don’t want to update everything yourself? Get all of the paperwork you need to change your last name in Ontario for just $39! 

If you don’t want to bother going through all of the steps below (and there are a lot!) an Easy Name Change Kit may be for you. For just $39 (as of Jun 2023, check the website for the most up to date prices), you’ll be able to choose from a list of over 750 government agencies and companies, received personalized forms and letters, and have everything you need to easily and quickly change your last name.

Check out Easy Name Change to get started!

Do you have to change your name after marriage? 

First things first: Do you have to change your last name after you get married? Of course not! Many happily married couples choose not to change their names for whatever reason. You can keep your given name and your spouse can keep theirs.

You can also do a social name change, where you use a different name in social settings, but don’t actually change anything in a legal or documented way. Some couples choose to do this because it’s easier (no paperwork!) or so they can use different names in different settings (e.g. publishing academic papers under your given, legal name but using your social, married name at parties).

Since a social last name change isn’t official, you don’t have to do any paperwork or pay any fees. You can simply change your name on Facebook and ask people to start calling you Mx. New Last Name. But you’ll want to be sure to use your legal name for any official business, such as booking flights or renewing a driver’s licence.

Lastly, we want to remind you that it’s not just women in hetero marriages who can change their names by taking their husband’s last name. Partners of all genders in all kinds of relationships can change their last names! Check out some great options for your last name in this blog post.

Two types of name changes: assumed name VS legal name change

In Ontario, there are two options for changing your name after marriage. You can assume your spouse’s last name (or they can assume yours) or you can complete the legal name change process.

Assumed name change

Assuming your partner’s last name simply means you would take their last name as your own (or combine the two). While this is an official name change, and you’ll receive new identification with your new name, it is not considered a legal name change. Your birth certificate will remain the same and you can return to your given legal name whenever you want.

Unlike in British Columbia, you can choose to use both last names in Ontario and it would still be considered an assumed name change. We reached out to Service Ontario and they confirmed, “You may assume your spouse’s/partner’s complete last name(s) (surname) or a combination of your complete last name(s) and your spouse’s/partner’s complete last name(s) (dual surname) using a hyphen or space between the two complete last names.”

Legal name change

A legal name change is a more complicated process that will change your legal name on your birth certificate and birth registration. If you are simply taking or combining last names with your spouse, you don’t need to complete a legal name change (though you have the option to).

However, any other change you wish to make – to your first, middle or last name – that isn’t simply taking your spouse’s last name or combining both of your last names (as shown above), would require a legal name change. For example, if you wish to move your given surname to your middle name or choose a brand new last name.

With a legal name change, you’ll go through a more complicated process to legally change your adult name. This process involves a lengthy application form, criminal record check, providing proof of residing in Ontario for the previous 12 months, sending in your birth certificate and a fee ($137 at the time of writing).

If you ever wish to change back to your previous name or change your name again, you will need to go through this same process. (Unlike with an assumed name change, where you can go back to using your birth name whenever you want.)

At the end of the legal name change process, you’ll receive a Change of Name Certificate. You will also receive a new Ontario birth certificate with your new name and your name on your birth registration will be changed. If you were born in a different province, you will need to apply to Vital Statistics for a new birth certificate.

For more information on a legal name change, click here.

Should I do an assumed name change or legal name change? 

The easiest way to answer this question is with an example. Let’s say Taylor Smith and Cory Lee are getting married and decide to change their last names. If they choose one of the following last names, it would qualify as an assumed name change:

• Taylor & Cory Lee
• Taylor & Cory Smith
• Taylor & Cory Smith-Lee (or Lee-Smith)
• Taylor & Cory Smith Lee (or Lee Smith)

All of the above are versions of assumed names (assuming your partner’s name) meaning Taylor and Cory can follow the simpler and cheaper assumed name change process. Neither Taylor nor Cory’s birth certificate or registration will change and they can go back to using their given name whenever they want.

However, if Taylor and Cory wanted to do anything else with their names other than the options above, they would need to complete a legal name change. Examples of legal name changes could be:

• Moving “Lee” or “Smith” to Taylor or Cory’s middle name, instead of last name
• Finding a new last name altogether, such as Taylor & Cory Wright
• Combining their last names without a space or by dropping some letters, such as Taylor & Cory Smithlee or Taylor & Cory Smile
• Any other changes Taylor & Cory want to make to their first, middle or last names!

Any of these changes would require a legal name change – a more complicated process – and would change Taylor and Cory’s birth certificate and registration.

Can I legally change my name even if I’m just assuming my partner’s last name?

If you are taking, hyphenating or combining last names with your partner – which would qualify as a simpler assumed name change – you still have the option to make that your legal name with a legal name change. However, this is not necessary and doesn’t seem to have any benefits (though you may have your own reasons!).

With a legal name change, you’ll have to go through a longer, more complicated and more expensive process. You will have the name on your birth certificate and birth registration changed. And you will not be able to simply return to your given name without going through this whole process again.

How to change your last name in Ontario after marriage

Do this first! Order your Marriage Certificate

In order to change your last name in Ontario after you’re married, you first have to order your Marriage Certificate. Unlike in some other provinces, marriage certificates in Ontario are not free and they are not automatically sent to you after your wedding. You must pay and apply for them.

Learn more about Ontario marriage certificates and licences in this blog post! 

Once your wedding officiant performs your ceremony and signs your paperwork with you, they send it off to Service Ontario. You can then apply to Service Ontario for your Marriage Certificate 6-8 weeks after your wedding date, once your marriage is officially registered.

From there, it’s 15 business days plus delivery time by Canada Post (regular service) or 5 business days including delivery by courier (premium service) until you receive your marriage certificate. So it could take 12 weeks from your wedding date until you receive your Marriage Certificate!

How to apply for your Ontario Marriage Certificate:

1. 6-8 weeks after your wedding, apply for your Marriage Certificate online.
2. Pay the $15 (regular service) or $45 (premium service) fee online.
3. Wait 5-15 business days, plus mail time (if applicable), to receive your Marriage Certificate.

Important things to note:

• Any paperwork your officiant gives you on your wedding day, such as a record of solemnization, is not the same thing as your Marriage Certificate. Your official Marriage Certificate must be applied and paid for through Service Ontario.
• You will need to know the following information to apply for your Marriage Certificate: first and last names or single names of both parties to the marriage, dates of birth of both parties to the marriage, date of marriage, and name of city, reserve or town where the marriage took place in.
• You can also apply for your certificate in person or by mail if you don’t want to apply online. If applying online, you’ll have the ability to check on the status of your application via the website.
• You can order a Marriage Certificate or a Certified Copy of Marriage Registration. For most name change processes, a Marriage Certificate is sufficient.
• If you require your Marriage Certificate ASAP, you can apply in-person for an emergency service ($45, processed within 5 business days, courier delivery). You must provide proof of urgency to utilize the emergency service.

For more information on applying for your Ontario Marriage Certificate, visit this link.

Ontario health card & driver’s licence

Once you have your Marriage Certificate (and Name Change Certificate, if you completed a legal name change), you can begin changing your name on all of your documents. Start with your Ontario government-issued ID, such as:

• health card
• driver’s licence
• Ontario Photo Card
• enhanced driver’s licence

How to change your last name on your Ontario ID:

Go to a Service Ontario location in person with:

• your Marriage Certificate (and Name Change Certificate, if applicable)
• your current photo health card (if you do not have a photo health card, you must bring 3 original documents to prove you are a Canadian citizen and Ontario resident)
• your driver’s licence, enhanced driver’s licence or Ontario Photo Card

It is free to change your last name on your Ontario health card, driver’s licence and other government ID. After applying at Service Ontario in person, you’ll receive your updated documents in the mail in 6-8 weeks.

Bank and credit cards

Most Canadian banks will require you to visit a branch office in person with your Marriage Certificate and/or Change of Name Certificate in order to change your last name on your account and bank cards. You may also be required to fill out a form or provide identification, such as your ON health card or driver’s licence with your new name.

If you have a bank-issued credit card, you should also be able to change your name on your credit card at the branch when updating your banking information. If your credit card is not bank-issued, reach out to your issuer for instructions.

Keep in mind that all banks and credit card companies operate differently, so get in touch with yours for the exact procedure.

Social Insurance Number (SIN) card

According to the Government of Canada, “If you are legally changing your name: By law, you must update your SIN record when you change your name.” However, there seems to be some debate over whether an assumed last name is treated the same as a legal change of name. Many couples report not updating their SIN cards to their assumed names and having no problem filing taxes, getting paid, etc.

However, we’ve heard that things may get complicated when you go to collect your CPP (Canada Pension Plan) if your current last name doesn’t match the one on your SIN card. So you may want to update your SIN now to avoid any problems in the future.

To update your SIN, you’ll need to fill out an application and provide supporting documents. The application can be filled out online, by mail or in person. If you apply by mail or in person, you’ll need to submit original copies of your documents, so it might be safer and easier to apply online.

If applying online you’ll need to provide: 

• a digital copy of an original valid primary identity document (you must provide both sides of the document if there is identity information on each side), like your birth certificate or certificate of Canadian citizenship
• a digital copy of an original valid secondary document, like a passport or driver’s licence
• a digital copy of a proof of address
• a digital copy of an original valid supporting document (only applicable if the name on your primary identity document is different from the name on your secondary document or than the name on your online SIN application form), like your Marriage Certificate or Change of Name Certificate

Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)

You’ll need to update the CRA not just with your new name but also with your change of marital status. You have until the end of the following month after your status changed to notify the CRA (e.g. if you got married in July, you must update the CRA by the end of August).

While your change of marital status can be updated online, your change of name must be done by phone, mail or fax.

Change of marital status

1. Visit this website
2. Sign into your CRA account and go to your Personal Profile
3. Under Personal Information > Marital Status, click Update
4. Enter your new marital status, effective date, and your partner’s SIN
5. Click Submit

Change of name

1. Visit this website
2. By phone: Call 1-800-959-8281 (see link above for hours of operation)
   Be ready with your:
   • Social Insurance Number
   • Full name and date of birth
   • Your complete address
   • Your personal account open or an assessed return, notice of assessment, reassessment, or other tax document
   • Marriage Certificate or Change of Name Certificate
3. By mail/fax: Send your letter to your tax centre (locations found here)
   Your letter must include:
   • original or certified true copy of one of the following documents:
     • a name change certificate from a provincial/territorial vital statistics department
     • a court order issued under an act on change of name
   • your old and new names
   • your social insurance number
   • your signature

Note: You can only change your name by phone if this is your first time changing your first or last name. If you have previously changed your name, you’ll need to apply by mail or fax.

Canadian Passport

Updating your passport with your new information can be tricky to time, so make sure you have knowledge of any upcoming travel plans before starting this process.

If you are travelling internationally, the name on your passport MUST match the name on your travel bookings (plane tickets, bus tickets, etc.). This can make honeymoon planning difficult as you may not have time to apply and receive your passport with your new name before you leave – especially considering you’ll have to wait for your marriage certificate and new Ontario ID first!

Many couples choose to travel on their honeymoon under their given names (using their current passport and booking everything under their given last name) as they don’t want to risk not receiving their new passport in time.

If you’re going on your honeymoon shortly after your wedding and don’t think you’ll have time to change your name and order a new passport (or don’t want to deal with the hassle!), book everything under the name in your current passport. You can still ask people to call you by your married name and use it for restaurant reservations but any official bookings, like flights, need to be done with your legal name.

When you’re ready to apply, here’s how you’ll get a Canadian passport in your new name:

1. Visit this website (for change of name information) and this website (for application information)
2. Fill out the application form using your new name
3. Provide the following documents:
   • Your current passport (if it’s still valid)
   • Supporting ID with your new name (e.g. updated ON health card or driver’s licence)
   • Proof of citizenship
   • Marriage Certificate or Change of Name Certificate (original or copy)
   • 2 identical passport photos (that follow the passport photo requirements)
4. Find a guarantor and 2 references
5. Submit your application by mail or in person
6. Pay the fees ($120-160, plus any fees for expediting your application)
7. Receive your passport (by mail or pick up in person) in 10-20 business days plus mailing time. Click here for current processing times and to check the status of your application.

Other places to update your last name

Work:
Depending on where you work, you may need to provide formal proof of your new name. This can usually be done by providing your Marriage Certificate or Change of Name Certificate or any of your new identification (e.g. new driver’s licence). Your work may need this information to update your payment and tax paperwork.

You’ll want to make sure that your name on your pay stubs/T4 matches the name the CRA has come tax filing time, so be sure to contact HR. You may also want to have your new name used in your work email address or other places around the office, such as the company directory.

Phone, internet & utilities:
Log into your online accounts for your phone, internet and utility companies where most will allow you to update your personal information. Some companies may require you to phone or provide proof of name change.

Social media:
Now comes the fun part: Changing your last name on social media! There are no applications, fees, long lines or paperwork required. Simply log into your favourite social media apps and have fun updating and using your new name!

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Overwhelmed with the paperwork and instructions for changing your last name in Ontario after marriage? Let Easy Name Change save you lots of time and effort for just $39!

Before you change your last name, don’t forget to book your wedding officiant for your ceremony! Get in touch to book your officiant today!

Calling all self-proclaimed nerds, geeks and super fans! It’s time to come out of your TARDIS, take off your cloak of invisibility and embrace the fact that you’re planning a super geeky nerd wedding.

Back in the day, it was a bad thing to be called a “nerd” or a “geek.” These days, we’re wearing those labels with pride! No matter what fandom you follow, being a self-proclaimed nerd or geek simply means you have something you’re really passionate about. And if it’s a fandom you and your spouse-to-be both love, that’s even better!

Below, we’re sharing the best ways to show off your favourite book series, TV show, movie, video game or other fandom at the perfect nerd wedding. Whether it’s a lightsaber, Vulcan salute or wizard hat, we’ll help you incorporate it into your big day!

But first, let’s not go overboard with the nerd wedding theme! 

There’s a fine line between subtly acknowledging your love for Dungeons & Dragons with a few D&D puns in your vows… and forcing all of your guests to show up in costume with elaborate back stories for their characters!

The important thing to remember is your wedding is about your love for each other, not your love for your fandom. So even if you watch a Marvel movie every weekend, have matching Deathly Hallows tattoos or go to Comic-Con each year, you don’t want any of that to overshadow the reason why all of your friends and family have gathered – to watch you get married and celebrate your love.

You also don’t want your nerd wedding theme to alienate your guests. Yes, it’s your wedding and you should do it your way. But that shouldn’t mean forcing your grandma to decode a dinner menu written in Elvish. The fandom you celebrate at your wedding should also be one that both you and your partner are into. If only one of you plays World of Warcraft, that probably shouldn’t be the central theme of your wedding.

Lastly, while you may consider yourselves lifelong Trekkies, there is a slim chance that your fandom love will wane over the years. Another reason to plan a more subtle nerd wedding is so you don’t look back on your photos 10 years from now and wonder why you insisted on carrying wands all day, when you don’t even like Harry Potter anymore (or, at least don’t support the author!).

Exchange nerd wedding rings

One of the best ways to incorporate your favourite fandom in your wedding is with nerd wedding rings. While this incorporation may seem subtle on your wedding day, it’s a reminder you will always wear of your love for your partner – and your love for your favourite fandom!

A great way to create nerd wedding rings is by getting them engraved with a favourite quote or word from your series of choice. Check out our list of great quotes below! You could also design the ring so it looks like a piece of jewelry that’s featured in your chosen fandom.

You could also say a quote during your ring exchange as part of your ring statement. For lovers of Lord of the Rings, it’s easy to incorporate a few words about the “power of the one ring” into your wedding day. Couple that with an Elvish inscription and your nerd wedding rings are Ringer/Tolkienite approved!

Incorporate subtle nerd decor

As wedding officiants, we’ve seen lots of great ways to include your chosen fandom in subtle nerd decor on your wedding day. The key? Less is more. With just a few items, your guests will get the geeky theme you’re going for.

Officiant Beth recently married a couple with a display of subtle nerd decor at their ceremony. This couple chose to set up two shelf towers to showcase some of their favourite fandom memorabilia, such as books and Funko Pops. Each piece was important to them and the shelves worked beautifully as part of their ceremony decor. Officiant Jane also did a recent wedding where the couple created a lightsaber bouquet!

A great way to display your fandom love is with nerdy centerpieces. There’s a lot of freedom when it comes to table decor, so consider creating nerdy centerpieces featuring action figures, photos, books or framed movie posters. You could even name each table after a favourite character or mythical land – but you might have to let the Orc table hit the buffet first!

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In order to ensure your nerd decor stays on the subtle side, consider more general nods to your favourite fandom. For example, instead of hosting a Harry Potter themed wedding, why not lean into a Halloween wedding theme? It’s still witchy, without looking like a movie set. Or if you’re diehard Whovians, you could incorporate the blue colour of the TARDIS into your wedding colour scheme.

Use some quotes for geeky couples

One of the best ways to show off your favourite series is with these quotes for geeky couples! Check out our resource with some of the best quotes from Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Futurama, Disney and more!

Grab our FREE list of 60+ nerd wedding quotes here!

But where do you put these geeky quotes on your wedding day? Lots of places! You can incorporate them into your vows or your wedding officiant’s speech during the ceremony. You can print them in your wedding programs or display them on decor. And you can include lots of quotes for geeky couples on your wedding website!

Serve a geeky wedding cake

A geeky wedding cake is the perfect place to go hard for your favourite fandom. After all, cakes are supposed to be fun and playful. And as long as it tastes good, your guests probably won’t mind what decor is on your wedding cake!

You can go big with your geeky wedding cake or more subtle. If you want to go all out, find a baker who will create a custom design for you. You’ll be blown away by what these artists can create! For something more subtle, consider adding a themed cake topper. Check out Etsy for lots of themed or custom cake topper options.

Your geeky wedding cake could even be a surprise! Don’t let any of your guests know you’re doing something out of the box for your cake and wow them when you bring it out. Or you could even surprise your spouse by having a nerdy cake created in honour of their favourite fandom. This would be an awesome way to showcase your spouse’s passion and put a huge smile on their face.

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More ideas for your perfect nerd wedding

Still need some more inspiration for your geeky, nerdy, fandom wedding? We’ve got you covered!

Nerdy engagement photos

Nerdy engagement photos are a great compromise if you want to embrace your inner nerd, but not on your wedding day. Let your fandom freak flag fly during your engagement photo session!

You can go all out, cosplaying for your nerdy engagement photos, or you can do something more subtle. For example, you could bring along lightsabers, Mickey Mouse ears or wands to hold for a few shots. You could also ask your photographer to take a few photos that show off your fandom-related tattoos or of you posing in a fandom-approved way, like making the Vulcan Salute.

Depending on where you’re located, you might even be able to take your engagement photos in a setting from your favourite series. Engagement photos in Hobbiton (New Zealand) or beyond the wall (Iceland)? Sounds good to us!

Nerdy first dance songs

Another perfect place to incorporate your fandom love is with a nerdy first dance song. In fact, you could use music from your favourite series in many different parts of your wedding. One of Officiant Jane’s couples will be coming down the aisle to The Throne Room from Star Wars: A New Hope in their upcoming wedding.

Check out the soundtracks to some of your favourite movies and TV shows to see if there’s a perfect song for your first dance or another moment of your reception or ceremony. Here are some great nerdy first dance songs, ceremony songs or reception songs:

• Concerning Hobbits from The Lord of The Rings
• Hedwig’s Theme from Harry Potter
• The Next Generation Theme from Star Trek
• Love Theme from Superman
• The Shape of Things to Come from Battlestar Galactica
• Romance in the Sky from Legend of Zelda
• The Majestic Tale of a Madman (In A Box) from Doctor Who

Remember, you can always look for an instrumental version of your favourite fandom song if the lyrics aren’t exactly wedding-friendly.

Game of Thrones wedding vows

Despite a TV series ending that disappointed most, GOT fans are still obsessed with the wedding vows in Game of Thrones and how they can incorporate them into their own wedding. Consider adding these wedding vows from Game of Thrones while you patiently wait for that next book that is definitely, for sure, coming out soon…

“In the sight of the Seven, I hereby see you these two souls, binding them as one for eternity. Look upon one another and say the words. Father. Smith. Warrior. Mother. Maiden. Crone. Stranger. I am his/hers, and s/he is mine, from this day, till the end of my days.”

Your wedding officiant, could elaborate on this passage by saying:

“We stand here in the sight of gods and men to witness the union of man and wife: one flesh, one heart, one soul, now and forever. Let it be known that Name1 from House1 and Name2 from House2 are one heart, one flesh, one soul. Cursed be he who would seek to tear them asunder. In the sight of the Seven, I hereby seal these two souls, binding them as one for eternity. Look upon one another and say the words: I am hers and she is mine. From this day, until the end of my days.” 

Another option from the series is this powerful line to end your vows:

“I am yours and you are mine from this day until the end of my days, from this day until my last day.”

Or channel your inner Dothraki with these GOT wedding vows:

“As you are the Moon of his life, he shall be your Sun and Stars. Your love shall be as ever-present as those two celestial bodies…even though they are sometimes hidden from one another’s sight. Your love will be the guiding force that charts the course of your tomorrows, holds your world together in difficult times, and will make life itself shine bolder and brighter than we human beings have a right to dream of.”

Lord of the Rings quotes and vows

Lord of the Rings is another series and fandom that inspires a lot of nerdy wedding quotes and vows. Here are some special words from Tolkien that you can use on your wedding day. And maybe you’ll follow it up with a honeymoon to Hobbiton in New Zealand!

“And to that, I hold. I would rather share one lifetime with you than face all the ages of this world alone.”

“Home is behind, the world ahead, and there are many paths to tread through shadows to the edge of night, until the stars are all alight.”

“May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out.”

“The greatest adventure is what lies ahead. Today and tomorrow are yet to be said.”

Interactive geeky elements

If you’re going to show off your fandom love, why not make it fun for your guests? Wedding Officiant Shawn married Megan and David, big time bird lovers, in 2016. Instead of just using birds in their decor, they had actual birds of prey attend their wedding!

Shawn shares, “This is Hagrid the owl. He flew the rings down the aisle attached to his talon. I had to wear a special glove and secretly hold a dead mouse to get him to fly to me. It was awesome!”

Other interactive geeky elements you could incorporate at your wedding include: decorating your photo booth like the TARDIS, providing lightsabers that light up the dance floor, and drinks that change colour with the swish of a wand!

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Geeky wedding outfits

Should you show up to your wedding in robes, dressed as Batman or wearing elf ears? Maybe not. But there are subtle ways to incorporate your favourite fandom into your wedding outfit.

These days, custom accessories are one of the best ways to subtly and fashionably profess your fandom love. Consider a themed bowtie, pair of socks or hair piece. You could also keep the fandom love a little more secret by having something sewn into the inside of your suit jacket or the lining of your dress. However you choose to do it, any nerdy additions will only make your wedding outfit that much more special and unique.

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Just make sure your photographer knows about your extra special geeky wedding outfit addition so they can snap some pics!

Nerdy wedding favours

Send your guests home with a smile and a little reminder of your favourite fandom by giving out nerdy wedding favours. Here are some great nerd wedding favour ideas:

• Love D&D? Gift a 20-sided die to each guest.
• Wands made out of chocolate – the perfect subtle harry potter wedding idea!
• Mouse ears are the perfect favour for Disney weddings.
• Need a Pokemon themed wedding idea? Why not give away Pokemon cards or Pokemon shaped candies or chocolates as your favours.
• Keychains, bottle openers or matchboxes inscribed with a quote from your favourite fandom.
• A box of Nerds candy! After all, you are self-proclaimed nerds, right?

Examples of nerd wedding ceremonies by Young Hip & Married!

Your Young Hip & Married wedding officiant would be more than happy to help you incorporate your favourite fandom into your wedding ceremony. Check out these awesome ceremony stories!

Officiant Lani married Shannon and Joel, huge Futurama fans, back in 2015. As part of her officiant speech, she shared a quote from Zoidberg that began, “As the candy hearts poured into the fiery quasar, a wondrous thing happened, why not. They vaporized into a mystical love radiation that spread across the universe…”

When it came time for the pronouncement of Shannon and Joel as a married couple, Lani said, “Shannon and Joel, having witnessed your vows to each other with all who are assembled here, and by the authority vested in me by the power of Greyskull, I announce with great joy that you are married.”

Wedding Officiant Shawn recently married Ashley and Trevor, who are big time Disney and Star Wars fans. They began their ceremony by serenading their guests with a song from Frozen and incorporated custom lightsabers into their wedding day.

For the pronouncement, Shawn said, “It is now with great joy, by the power vested in me by the Jedi Council, that I pronounce you husband and wife. May the force be with you.”

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Which nerd wedding ideas will you be incorporating in your wedding day? Let us know! 

Plan the perfect nerd wedding with a custom wedding ceremony and a wedding officiant who will go above and beyond to incorporate your favourite fandom into your wedding day. Get in touch to learn more about our ceremony packages!