Notes from the Ceremonies

1. Get your marriage licence early. You can buy it at any Ontario city hall up to 90 days before the wedding — don't leave it for the final week.

2. Book your officiant before the small details. Popular dates fill quickly, and a 50% non-refundable deposit is what holds yours.

3. Choose your two witnesses and tell them. They need to be present and sign the paperwork right after the ceremony.

4. Plan a weather backup for outdoor ceremonies — a tent, a covered porch, or an indoor room nearby.

5. Share your story. The stories, nicknames and small moments you share are what make a ceremony sound like you.

6. Decide on the rings and who holds them. A quick handoff plan prevents the classic pocket search at the front.

7. Ask guests for an unplugged ceremony if you'd like. A short announcement lets your photographer capture faces, not phones.

Parks, conservation areas, backyards, farms and golf clubs across the region all make lovely ceremony spaces. If you're using public land, check with the town or conservation authority about permits well in advance.

Ceremonies within 100 kilometres of East Gwillimbury carry no mileage fee — that includes all of York Region.

Consider sunset times for photos, especially in autumn, and allow travel time between the ceremony and reception if they're in different towns.

Have more questions? The York Region FAQ answers the ones couples ask most.

Yes. In Ontario, your ceremony can happen almost anywhere the two of you choose — a backyard, a park, a cottage shoreline, a restaurant, a family farm, or a favourite lookout. What makes a wedding location “work” has less to do with the venue and more to do with what it means to you.

A few things worth thinking through when you choose: where your guests will stand or sit, whether there is any shelter if the weather turns, and whether there's a quiet spot for the two of you to take a breath before the ceremony begins.

Storybound performs inclusive ceremonies for all couples, anywhere in Ontario. For locations more than 100 kilometres from East Gwillimbury, a mileage rate of $0.75 per kilometre may be added — worth factoring in early when you're weighing a destination that's a few hours' drive.

Each couple is responsible for purchasing an Ontario Marriage License. Licenses are available from any city hall in Ontario and may be purchased up to 90 days before your wedding date. Fees vary by city, so it's worth checking your local municipality's website when you start planning.

After the ceremony, we take care of the rest: the Record of Solemnization of Marriage, mailing the Marriage License to the Registrar General's Office, and filing the marriage registry sheet in accordance with the Marriage Act.

It's the least glamorous part of a wedding day, and the part you should never have to think about while you're celebrating with the people you love.

Every wedding ceremony I perform is well rehearsed. A “Talk-Through Rehearsal” — walking through the flow of the ceremony together, who stands where, and who does what — is included in the Classic and Intimate packages.

For couples who want extra preparation, there's also a formal “Walk-Through Rehearsal”: you and your wedding party meet at the venue to physically practice the entire ceremony. It's efficient, well run, and takes about 30 minutes.

The goal is simple: on the day itself, nobody is guessing. You get to be fully present, because everyone already knows the plan.

The best ceremonies aren't really about the person standing at the front. They're about the people gathered in the room — and about the two of you, your story, and the words that feel true to the people living them.

That's why nothing at Storybound is pulled from a template. I listen, ask good questions, notice the little details, and then find the words to tell your story well. It can be joyful and funny, traditional or contemporary, deeply spiritual or completely non-religious.

Religious content is offered but never required — what matters is that your guests hear your ceremony and think: that's them.