Consent of the intended spouses
During the ceremony, the intended spouses must be able to give, in person, their free and enlightened consent. The officiant must therefore be attentive toward the quality of the consent expressed.
This means that a person must not be forced to marry or enter into a civil union. Moreover, consent must be given with full knowledge of the facts.
Exchange of consents
Each of the intended spouses must make the declaration stating their free and informed consent to take the other as their spouse in the presence of the two witnesses.
This exchange must be in French or English. If the officiant or either spouse does not understand the language used or is unable to express himself or herself in that language, the intended spouses must provide the services of an interpreter who is not a member of their family.
Since 2018, there is no prescribed formulation for exchanging consent (for example: I do!).
Exchange of rings
The exchange of rings is a symbolic gesture that is not governed by law.
Thus, the intended spouses may choose to integrate it into the ceremony or not, according to their preferences and beliefs.
Reviewed: 2019-03-27
