Marriages allowed at Civic Centre

The Chatham Voice

Chatham-Kent’s municipal clerk can now perform marriage ceremonies.

Council recently approved the notion that municipal clerk Judy Smith, or a designate, be authorized to perform civic marriage ceremonies.

And on June 7, Smith performed her first ceremony.

For $250, residents can be married in the Civic Centre atrium, council chambers or back patio at 315 King St. W. The ceremonies can take place between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. and will last about 30 minutes.

After-hour ceremonies, not at the Civic Centre, may be discussed with the clerk as well.

A civil marriage does not have any type of religious ceremony in keeping with the spirit of the Ontario Marriage Act, which requires civil marriages to be non-denominational.

There will be three types of ceremonies a couple can choose from, including a same-gender marriage ceremony.

“As municipal clerk, I am honoured to have the authority to officiate non-religious, legal civil marriage ceremonies within Chatham-Kent. It is a privilege to be able to share in the couple’s special day,” Smith, director of municipal governance and the clerk, said in a media release.

Ceremonies will be booked according to the clerk’s (and designate’s) schedule, and pre-booking is required.

There will be a maximum of 12 people who can attend a civil marriage, including the couple and their witnesses.

For more information on civil marriage ceremonies, see the Chatham-Kent website.