The wedding ceremony is holistic: while at the centre are two souls intertwined, there is no audience—everyone present is a participant-witness to this sacred bonding between two human beings.
The celebration that follows is a tribute to a new unity for all who attend and a joyous blessing for the new couple who have transformed before our eyes.
And while we are most often called upon to officiate inter-faith marriages, we also administer and celebrate traditional Jewish weddings. We are happy to officiate for any couple who would like to be married or renew vows, including inter-faith weddings, from diverse cultures, and the LGBT+ community.
Our experiences are many and varied and we are delighted to provide references for your own expectations and comfort.
The couples and celebrations featured throughout are real—we have officiated for each of these wonderful people and their families.
The Ceremony and After-in Ontario
The Rabbi is a licensed officiant. We sign your marriage license during the ceremony and forward it to the Registrar to ensure your marriage is legally registered. (Couples may provide their marriage license to us in advance so you have less to think about on the day—in Ontario, you apply for your license up to 90 days before the date of your ceremony at your local municipal offices).
If you would like an official Marriage Certificate from Ontario, it is necessary to apply for this yourself from the Registrar—you are required to wait at least 90 days after your ceremony to meet provincial requirements.
If you arrange with the Rabbi for a destination wedding or a ceremony in a location other than Ontario—he is also licensed/or able to conduct ceremonies for certain other locales (in Canada and the US) and will discuss this and any arrangements that need to be made with you.
How to change your name after the wedding—
This is the question most asked by couples! In Ontario (and generally in other provinces besides Quebec) you may assume your spouse’s last name on marriage. You may need to show your marriage certificate (which you apply for after the wedding from Vital Statistics) to the relevant government departments or companies to change your name on certain documents (bank accounts, Revenue Canada, credit cards, driver’s license, social insurance number, etc.). You may also apply for a legal name change, but this is a different process.
From Our Blog
Creating the Perfect Wedding VideoDecember 9, 2023 - 11:47 amAward-winning wedding cinematographers Mark and Danielle capture stories around the world for their company Kismet Creative, surpassing the expectations of many happy wedding couples from Toronto to Vancouver and far beyond. They specialize in producing wonderful films with a strong narrative designed to show the couple’s personalities, documenting their turning points and ceremony into a […]