How to expedite the marriage certificate process in Ontario

Expediting the marriage certificate www.sheisthemarryinglady.com

Typically, this will expedite the process from being over 10-12 weeks to a min of 4-6 weeks.
City Hall Weddings will NOT expedite, only independent Officiants will do this for you.
In cases of urgency, here is what I've learned can be your options:
FIRST
Expedite the processing of your Marriage Licence:
1. Bring the following items to your Officiant:
a. Your licence from City Hall
b. A letter stating your urgency for expediting your marriage licence, and supporting proof of urgency
c. A pre-paid express post envelope.
Your Officiant is the only person who can send your marriage licence to the Registrar. They cannot let anyone else send the licence.

The Registar in Thunder Bay will get the Express Post envelope the next day or so, but they do receive over 1000 licences a day. Within the next 1-2 weeks they will process the licence they receive you’re your letter of urgency will ensure that if City Hall or the Officiant make any mistakes on the licence, that it will be addressed immediately.

SECOND
Expedite the processing of your Marriage Certificate:
2.The morning of your wedding day, go online at Service Ontario (not Service Canada) and request your marriage certificate.
3. This application will provide you with a tracking number so you can find out where in the process your certificate may be, and help Service Ontario direct you to the right department that is dealing with your request to expedite the certificate.
4. Once your licence is registered, you can receive a certificate within 15 days, but you can pay $30 to have it expedited and receive it 5 days after you’ve ordered it.

The trick is to know if your letter, attached to the marriage licence was successful in expediting its processing. It takes approximately 10 weeks from the date the marriage took place to register a marriage, but your letter may have been processed in 5-6 weeks.
5. Therefore call 1-800-461-2156 to inquire into your marriage licence processing and next steps for getting your certificate. They may have already sent you the certificate if your licence was processed. But if not, the people at this number will give you the specific fax number for the department addressing your issue, such as immigration. You will need to fax your request to expedite the processing of the certificate.
Fax# 807-343-7284

Registrar vs Service Ontario
Its important to know that both the Marriage Licence and the Marriage Certificate are processed and sent from the Registrars Office in Thunder Bay, Ontario only.
However, Service Ontario office in Toronto at 47 Sheppard Avenue West, can help get documents to the Registrars Office. This office can
a. Fax your letter of request to expedite the marriage certificate to Thunderbay for free.
b. Allow you to submit an online application for marriage certificate when you do not have a credit card. This office can take your payment for your marriage certificate request and put your request through on their computers.
Sample Letter found on the blog at:

www.sheisthemarryinglady.com