How to Get Married in Nova Scotia.
Looking to get married in Nova Scotia? Here’s how.
This is our girl Sarah. She’s an Administrative Justice of the Peace (aka a JP, aka Just Perfect). Some folks may refer to JPs differently, sometimes as an officiant or celebrant but what it all means is that it’s her job to meet with couples, fill out their marriage license paperwork, and marry them in a civil ceremony. She makes the actual marriage part of a marriage happen.
There are lots of great JPs out there and it’s the best option for couples who don’t want to have a religious ceremony. The right JP can bring a lot of personality to your ceremony and make you feel at ease on such a momentous occasion. Sarah says it’s her “favorite job in the whole world” and we believe it - she does it with a smile on her face, grace and occasionally some tears. She’s invested! We love getting to know our couples and helping them work their love story into their wedding day, Sarah does the same thing by helping couples make their ceremony just as magical as their wedding day.
So we asked Sarah; How does it all work? How do people actually get married in Nova Scotia?
“The process of getting married in Nova Scotia is really straightforward but I often get asked what are the steps.” So we lay it all out for you here.
1. Apply for your marriage license.
This HAS to take place before you can get married. You can apply at any Access Nova Scotia office. You must BOTH go in and apply TOGETHER, this is important. It costs about $130 bucks and you’ll leave with your license application the day you pay for it. Your marriage license application will expire three months after it’s been issued so don’t apply for it too early!
Does this mean you’re married? Nope, but it means you can now get married.
The next steps:
2. Find a Justice of the Peace to marry you.
Visit the province’s website and find a JP in the area where you’d like to get married. Some JPs will also travel (such as yours truly, Sarah Anderson) within their province, so if there’s someone on the province’s list that’s been recommended to you it’s always worth asking if they’ll travel to your area. We recommend talking to a JP a bit before you commit. The ceremony on your wedding day is truly such a special piece; not connecting with your JP on a personal level can make your ceremony stand out for all the WRONG reasons. Mispronouncing your names, misgendering you, making sure they’ll dodge out of the way for your first kiss.
3. Reach out to a Justice of the Peace.
Once you’ve booked them, they’ll arrange a time to meet with you and fill out the paperwork that came with your license. This is part of their job, so please, don’t fill it out on your own! This meeting can be such an important time before the wedding. Typically JP willI send couples a sample script of the ceremony they use at weddings before you meet. “You don’t have to use the script I provide but lots of people do.” Sarah says, “Some choose to edit it to suit their personalities, comfort, and the vibe of their wedding, too. We can keep it chill, funny and relaxed or take it down a more sentimental and emotional road.”
4. On your wedding day, your JP will arrive and perform the ceremony.
The ceremony itself is usually pretty brief. Once the ceremony takes place, the married couple signs the paperwork saying they’ve been married, the JP signs to say the marriage took place, and the witnesses sign to say they witnessed the wedding. And that’s it. Signed, sealed, and soon to be delivered (to Vital Statistics, by your JP). Once the wedding is over, the JP will send the paperwork to Vital Stats where it will be registered. Registering your marriage takes about 4 weeks and you wont get anything in the mail to say this is complete, but if you like to you can apply for an official copy of your license or start the process of a name change around that time.
You can also go to the courthouse and get married. Call first, some courthouses perform limited ceremonies a week so it’s always a good idea to check in advance. You can’t just show up at the courthouse and get married in Nova Scotia.
What you can do, though, and it’s way more exciting, is just hire a JP and get married anywhere you want. Favourite hiking spot? Get married there. Living room? Get married there.
Sarah married couples in all sorts of interesting and not-so-interesting but special places. The point is, you can get married anywhere! Where’s the most unconventional place you’ve helped a couple tie the knot? “I’ve literally performed a ceremony for a couple over a plate of eggs at their kitchen table. I loved that.”
So, if a full blown wedding isn’t your thing, hire a JP. If waiting your turn at the courthouse isn’t your thing, hire a JP. We’re definitely biased but totally recommend Sarah Anderson.
Questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out to us at East Coast Pop Up Weddings or to Sarah at the Wolfville Wedding Chapel or to Access Nova Scotia!