Planning your wedding is one of the most exciting seasons of your life. Between finding the perfect venue, tasting cake, and deciding who gets invited (good luck with that!), it’s easy to forget about the legal paperwork.

Don’t worry—we’ve got you.

As the Administrative Coordinator at Rose Gold Celebrations, one of the questions I hear most often is:

“What documents do we actually need to get married?”

Before your officiant can legally marry you, Quebec law requires certain documents to verify your identity, civil status, and eligibility to marry. The good news is that most couples already have everything they need or can gather it with a little planning. Here’s your stress-free checklist before meeting with your officiant.

1. Government-Issued Photo Identification

First things first—we need to make sure you are who you say you are!

Both spouses will need valid government-issued photo identification. This helps your officiant verify your identity and ensures all of your legal paperwork is completed accurately.

Accepted examples include:

• Driver’s licence
• Passport
• Medicare card
• Permanent Resident Card, if applicable

Tip: When sending us a copy, make sure it’s clear, uncropped, and easy to read.

2. Your Birth Certificate

Yes, you’ll need your birth certificate too.

If your birth certificate was issued in a language other than French or English, don’t worry! You’ll simply need a certified translation completed by a qualified translator recognized in Quebec (if one hasn’t already been done).

2. Your Ceremony Witnesses

Every legal marriage in Quebec requires two ceremony witnesses.

We’ll ask for:

• Their full legal names
• Government-issued photo identification

Your witnesses don’t need any special qualifications—they simply need to be old enough to understand the significance of the marriage they’re witnessing.

That means your best friend, your sister, your favourite uncle—or even your child—may be one of your witnesses, making it an incredibly meaningful way to include them in your special day.

3. Proof That You Are Free to Marry, If Applicable.

If either of you has been married or in a civil union before, you’ll need to provide documentation showing that the previous marriage or civil union has legally ended.

Depending on your circumstances, this may include:

• Certificate of Divorce
• Judgment of Divorce
• Death certificate of a former spouse
• Documents relating to the dissolution or annulment of a previous marriage or civil union

Every situation is different, so don’t hesitate to ask if you’re unsure which documents apply to you.

4. Your Ceremony Witnesses

Every legal marriage in Quebec requires two ceremony witnesses.

We’ll ask for:

• Their full legal names
• Government-issued photo identification

Your witnesses don’t need any special qualifications—they simply need to be old enough to understand the significance of the marriage they’re witnessing.

That means your best friend, your sister, your favourite uncle—or even your child—may be one of your witnesses, making it an incredibly meaningful way to include them in your special day.

5. Your Publication Witness

Quebec law generally requires a Notice of Publication to be displayed for at least 20 days before your wedding.

To complete this step, we’ll ask for the information and identification of a publication witness who can confirm the accuracy of the information included in your Notice of Publication.

We’ll guide you through this process—it’s much simpler than it sounds!

6. Additional Documents for International Couples

Were you born outside Canada? No problem!

Depending on your circumstances, we may need additional documentation such as:

• Certified translations
• Foreign divorce judgments
• Other civil status documents

Every country has different requirements, so we’ll let you know exactly what applies to your situation.

Common Mistakes That Can Delay Your Wedding

After helping hundreds of couples through the process, we’ve noticed a few common hiccups:

• Waiting until the last minute to order a birth certificate
• Sending blurry or partially cut-off photos of IDs
• Forgetting to translate documents that aren’t in French or English
• Providing an incomplete Certificate of Divorce or Judgment of Divorce
• Choosing witnesses before confirming they’re available and can provide valid identification

The good news? These are all easy to avoid with a little planning.

And if life throws an unexpected curveball and your paperwork isn’t ready in time, don’t worry—we have options. We can perform a beautiful symbolic ceremony on your wedding day and complete the legal marriage once all of the required documents are in place, so you don’t have to postpone celebrating with your family and friends.

We’re Here to Help

At Rose Gold Celebrations, we carefully review every document before your planning meeting. If anything is missing or needs clarification, we’ll let you know as early as possible so there are no last-minute surprises.

Our goal is simple: to make the legal side of getting married feel organized, straightforward, and stress-free, so you can spend less time worrying about paperwork and more time getting excited to say “I do.”

Whether you’re planning an intimate elopement, a grand celebration, or simply navigating international paperwork, our team is here to guide you every step of the way.

We can’t wait to be part of your wedding journey!

Melissa Blanchart

Administrative Coordinator