Wedding FAQ's
Are you a real/legal Minister?
Yes, I am a legally ordained minister, registered with Vital Statistics Canada, and legal to perform marriages here in B.C.
Do we need to book you in advance?
Many couples like book quite far in advance so I often am booking couples as much as a year in advance for their weddings. As a result most of the week-ends in July and August are the first to go.
If you send me an e-mail with your date, I will get back to you right away to let you know if I am available and we can move ahead from there.
Do you travel for weddings?
I do! I live in the lower mainland of Vancouver, but often drive to Whistler for weddings and other destinations within B.C. These destinations will have an additional travel and sometimes accommodation fees, so it is best to pop me an e-mail if you have any questions.
How many weddings do you do per day?
I never perform more then one ceremony a day because I feel that for me, to give each couple the attention they deserve, I am at my full best when they are my only wedding of the day.
Do we need a rehearsal? And is there a fee if we do?
Wedding rehearsals really do help everyone to feel confident in what they will be doing and where they need to stand for the big day, especially if you have a large wedding party.
However, rehearsals do not need to be long and tedious affairs that take hours of everyone’s time.
The trick is to have a great outline of who goes where and what the cue’s are, this is something that I provide for you as a part of your ceremony creation. It can be helpful to have me there to assist with getting everyone organized, especially if your wedding party is large. I can help you decide what’s right for you, and if you need to have me there or not and the fee is $25 per hour.
What will you wear? Would you wear something in our colours?
I am happy to dress any way you want me to using the colors and/or theme of your wedding. Normally I wear a simple linen skirt and blouse with my ministers shawl. To see an example of me performing a ceremony visit the gallery page.
How do I get my marriage Licence?
Getting a marriage license in BC is actually very easy, as they are readily available at some London Drug Stores, Insurance offices, Service BC, or Notaries Public and the cost is $100.00
To find one near near you, click here and do a search by your city. {http://www.vs.gov.bc.ca/cgi-bin/search/marriage_offices.cgi}
Changing your last name after marriage is really easy as there is no legal paperwork required. Sometimes, but not often, you will be asked to show your legal marriage certificate. Your legal marriage certificate usually comes int he post a few weeks after the marriage. However if you are planning on using hyphenated names, you will have to undertake a legal name change process.
If we are coming to B.C from somewhere else to have you marry myself and my same sex partner will we still be legal?
Yes and No. If where you are coming from has laws recognizing same sex marriages then yes, however if the province or state you are coming in from does not then the answer unfortunately is no.
Ontario Superior Court documents reveal that a Department of Justice lawyer in Toronto is arguing that non-Canadian gay and lesbian couples are only considered married under this country’s laws if gay marriage is also recognized in their home country or state.
Federal government is looking at clarifying the law to allow non-resident gays and lesbians married in Canada the right to get divorced here even if their place of origin doesn’t recognize them as a married couple.
It will be your responsibility to stay abreast of any changes to the laws in your area, both local and federal, although I will do my best to help you find the information.
Yes, I am a legally ordained minister, registered with Vital Statistics Canada, and legal to perform marriages here in B.C.
Do we need to book you in advance?
Many couples like book quite far in advance so I often am booking couples as much as a year in advance for their weddings. As a result most of the week-ends in July and August are the first to go.
If you send me an e-mail with your date, I will get back to you right away to let you know if I am available and we can move ahead from there.
Do you travel for weddings?
I do! I live in the lower mainland of Vancouver, but often drive to Whistler for weddings and other destinations within B.C. These destinations will have an additional travel and sometimes accommodation fees, so it is best to pop me an e-mail if you have any questions.
How many weddings do you do per day?
I never perform more then one ceremony a day because I feel that for me, to give each couple the attention they deserve, I am at my full best when they are my only wedding of the day.
Do we need a rehearsal? And is there a fee if we do?
Wedding rehearsals really do help everyone to feel confident in what they will be doing and where they need to stand for the big day, especially if you have a large wedding party.
However, rehearsals do not need to be long and tedious affairs that take hours of everyone’s time.
The trick is to have a great outline of who goes where and what the cue’s are, this is something that I provide for you as a part of your ceremony creation. It can be helpful to have me there to assist with getting everyone organized, especially if your wedding party is large. I can help you decide what’s right for you, and if you need to have me there or not and the fee is $25 per hour.
What will you wear? Would you wear something in our colours?
I am happy to dress any way you want me to using the colors and/or theme of your wedding. Normally I wear a simple linen skirt and blouse with my ministers shawl. To see an example of me performing a ceremony visit the gallery page.
How do I get my marriage Licence?
Getting a marriage license in BC is actually very easy, as they are readily available at some London Drug Stores, Insurance offices, Service BC, or Notaries Public and the cost is $100.00
To find one near near you, click here and do a search by your city. {http://www.vs.gov.bc.ca/cgi-bin/search/marriage_offices.cgi}
Changing your last name after marriage is really easy as there is no legal paperwork required. Sometimes, but not often, you will be asked to show your legal marriage certificate. Your legal marriage certificate usually comes int he post a few weeks after the marriage. However if you are planning on using hyphenated names, you will have to undertake a legal name change process.
If we are coming to B.C from somewhere else to have you marry myself and my same sex partner will we still be legal?
Yes and No. If where you are coming from has laws recognizing same sex marriages then yes, however if the province or state you are coming in from does not then the answer unfortunately is no.
Ontario Superior Court documents reveal that a Department of Justice lawyer in Toronto is arguing that non-Canadian gay and lesbian couples are only considered married under this country’s laws if gay marriage is also recognized in their home country or state.
Federal government is looking at clarifying the law to allow non-resident gays and lesbians married in Canada the right to get divorced here even if their place of origin doesn’t recognize them as a married couple.
It will be your responsibility to stay abreast of any changes to the laws in your area, both local and federal, although I will do my best to help you find the information.
© Copyright 2016. By Nikiah Seeds. Ancestral Healing, Red Drum Making, Ceremonies, Mystery School. Vancouver, BC.
Living and working on the unceded Indigenous land belonging to the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
Living and working on the unceded Indigenous land belonging to the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.