How to Get Married in Manitoba

To get legally married in Manitoba, you need a $100 marriage licence bought between 24 hours and three months before the wedding, original ID for both of you, two witnesses, and a registered officiant. Here's each step, what it costs, and how a friend can legally marry you.

Step 1: Buy your marriage licence

• It costs $100.
• Timing is a window. Buy it no more than three months before the wedding and at least 24 hours before the ceremony. It's valid for three months from the day you buy it.
• You both have to be there. Licences are sold in person, and both of you sign.
• It only works in Manitoba. A licence from another province won't cover a Manitoba wedding, and a Manitoba licence won't cover a wedding anywhere else.

Licences are sold by registered marriage licence issuers across the province, which are often local businesses and town offices. In Winnipeg you can also buy one at the Vital Statistics Agency at 254 Portage Avenue. Brandon City Hall sells them by appointment. The province publishes the full list of issuers by community, linked in the sidebar.

tip: Go a week or two before the wedding rather than the day before. If an ID or divorce document turns out to be the wrong kind, you still have time to sort it out.

Step 2: Bring the right ID

Bring original documents. The province's list of accepted ID includes a birth certificate, passport, citizenship certificate, immigration papers, Armed Forces ID, and a treaty card. A driver's licence only counts together with a Manitoba Health card, and Social Insurance Number cards aren't accepted.

If either of you has been married before:

• Divorced: bring your Certificate of Divorce or Decree Absolute.
• Widowed: bring proof of your spouse's death, such as the death certificate.

note: Issuers can be strict about which divorce paper they'll accept. If you're unsure whether yours is the certificate or just the judgment, call your issuer or Vital Statistics before you go.

Step 3: Check the legal requirements

• Age. You can marry on your own at 18. At 16 or 17 you need written consent, usually from a parent or guardian. Nobody under 16 can marry anywhere in Canada.
• Witnesses. The Marriage Act requires two witnesses at the ceremony, and they sign the marriage form along with you and your officiant.
• Residency. You don't have to live in Manitoba. Couples from anywhere can marry here with a Manitoba licence.
• Same-sex couples marry under exactly the same rules.

note: Eloping? You still need two witnesses. Your photographer and a friend can do it.

Step 4: Choose who marries you

In Manitoba, registered clergy and marriage commissioners can legally marry you.

Marriage commissioners

Marriage commissioners perform civil ceremonies, and Manitoba regulates what they charge. Under the province's Marriage Fees and Expenses Regulation, a commissioner who isn't a civil servant is paid $50, plus reasonable travel and any other expenses you agree to. Officiants who are registered as clergy aren't covered by that fee, so quotes for fully written, personalized ceremonies vary. Ask exactly what's included and how they're registered before you book.

Browse Winnipeg wedding vendors or vendors across Manitoba, including officiants.

City hall ceremonies

Both of Manitoba's biggest cities run short civil ceremonies:

• Winnipeg City Hall: about $600 plus GST for the ceremony, with the $100 licence on top. The city raises the fee each January, so check the current price when you book.
• Brandon City Hall: $395.25 plus GST in 2026, by appointment only. A $125 non-refundable booking fee holds your date and time, and the balance is due seven days before the ceremony.

Want a friend to marry you?

Manitoba offers a one-time appointment as a marriage commissioner, so a friend or family member can legally perform your ceremony. The appointment costs $100, and the province's commissioner applications ask for applicants who are at least 18 and live in Manitoba. Check the one-time application on the Vital Statistics site for the current requirements, and apply well ahead, since nothing is guaranteed until the appointment comes through.

What the legal side costs

tip: For the rest of your budget, see our Canadian wedding budget breakdown and average wedding costs by province. Manitoba couples typically spend $22,000 to $30,000 all in.

Step 5: After the ceremony

Once you, your witnesses, and your officiant have signed, the officiant sends the paperwork in and the marriage is registered with Manitoba Vital Statistics.

Your marriage certificate is ordered separately, and it's the document you'll need for a name change, passports, and benefits. A standard certificate is $30, and you can order it online once the marriage is registered. Rush processing and courier delivery cost extra. Order early if you're travelling soon after the wedding or changing your name.

Manitoba tips from the planning side

• Buy the licence in the window. More than three months early and it expires; on the day of the wedding and it's too late.
• Book summer Saturdays early. Manitoba's wedding season is short and concentrated. Lake venues in the Whiteshell and around Gimli fill first.
• Plan for weather both ways. Have a covered backup for outdoor summer ceremonies, and for a winter wedding, build in time for roads and photos in the cold.
• Still looking for a venue? Browse Winnipeg venues or the Manitoba venues guide.

Not sure who to book first? Find My Vendors suggests vendors that fit your date, style, and budget, free.

Sources

Based on Manitoba Vital Statistics, The Marriage Act and the Marriage Fees and Expenses Regulation, and the City of Winnipeg and City of Brandon marriage pages, checked in October 2026. Fees change, especially city hall ceremony fees each January, so confirm before you book:

• Getting Married (Manitoba Vital Statistics)
• Marriage licence (Manitoba Residents)
• Application for a Manitoba Marriage Document
• One-Time Appointment as a Manitoba Marriage Commissioner (application)
• The Marriage Act (Manitoba)
• Marriage Fees and Expenses Regulation, M.R. 209/2004
• Weddings at City Hall (City of Winnipeg)
• Marriage Services (City of Brandon)