Moment couple's wedding was ruined by officiator who dropped the rings

• Jessica and Casey O'Donnell's officiator was George T. Casselman
• He kept repeating lines, lost his page and couldn't find the rings
• Mr O'Donnell said he delivered a 'trainwreck' at the altar
• They hired Casselman to oversee ceremony and legally confirm nuptials
• Service Ontario has now told them Casselman was not authorized to marry people in the province
• It is a crime in Ontario, to knowingly 'solemnize' a marriage without the authority to do so

By Jill Reilly for MailOnline

Published: 12:44 EST, 23 November 2014 | Updated: 13:49 EST, 23 November 2014

A Canadian couple have released a video of the completely inadequate wedding officiator who not only ruined their ceremony, but it was also unauthorized to marry them.

Jessica and Casey O'Donnell, from Peterborough, Canada, were married in August in Kijiji and hired an officiator named George T. Casselman online to oversee their ceremony and legally confirm their nuptials.

Mr O'Donnell said he delivered a 'trainwreck' at the altar and the video makes for excruciating viewing.

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A Canadian couple have released a video of the completely inadequate wedding officiator who not only ruined their ceremony, but it was also unauthorized to marry them

Jessica and Casey O'Donnell, from Peterborough, Canada, were married in August in Kijiji

They hired an officiator named George T. Casselman online to oversee their ceremony and legally confirm their nuptials

Casselman misplaces the rings, and then drops them, before asking where they are as the crowd laughs.

He also forgets his place in his book as he repeats lines, but insists it was because someone had 'messed' with his book.

He even mispronounces words and adds his own spin on traditional phrases.

At one point he loses his place in his notes, prompting the confused bride to mutter, 'Couldn't you just make it up?'

When he finally gets to the end of the ceremony he announces: 'Ladies and gentlemen, I give you great honour and great joy and privilege to announce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Jessica O'Donnell.

The exasperated groom is then seen shrugging his shoulders - 'I'm taking her name,' he says

The 27-year-old bride describes the whole experience as 'mortifying.'

'He just dropped the ball completely,' M O'Donnell told The Star. 'It seemed like (it took) an eternity.'

The couple got engaged in February and in April they found Casselman's post 'The Wedding Officiant,' online.

They paid him a $75 deposit on a total fee of $250 but the couple said when they suggested a dress rehearsal, Casselman told them it was unnecessary.

He also forgets his place in his book as he repeats lines to the bemused couple

He even mispronounces words and adds his own spin on words

Casselman misplaces the rings, and then drops them as the couple become more perturbed by his behaviour

Following his conduct at the wedding, they were so incensed that they tried to contact him and he finally responded three days later with a text message in which he explained he should have done a rehearsal.

He also refers to 'my heart diabetes,' claiming he had a 'mild heart attack' after the ceremony, and that he is 'truly sorry about that day.'

The couple refused to pay Casselman his entire fee after the ceremony, and demanded their deposit back which they did not receive.

But this week they got a further shock when they received a call from Service Ontario telling them Casselman was not authorized to marry people in the province.

The exasperated bride turns to look at her bridesmaids as the series of gaffes continue

Casselman asks the couple where the rings are - after already dropping them

The O'Donnells say they now have to go to family court and apply for an 'order of validity' to finally make their marriage official, an ordeal Casey expects to cost 'about $500.'

Cynthia Vukets, spokesperson for Service Ontario, declined to speak specifically about the Casselman-O'Donnell case, but she told The Star couples such as the O'Donnells are still considered legally married, but they must apply to the courts to 'determine that the marriage is valid' before the province can recognize the union.

It is a crime in Ontario, to knowingly 'solemnize' a marriage without the authority to do so.

Casselman told Mr O'Donnell via text message this week that he was certified by the 'United National Church of Canada' - the website states it will 'ordain' people to perform marriages for $139.99.

But the organization is not authorized to certify marriage officiants in Ontario, Vukets said.

Casselman did not return The Star's request for comment - and the United National Church was unavailable for comment.

The 27-year-old bride describes the whole experience as 'mortifying'

At one point he lost his place in his notes, prompting the bride to mutter, 'Couldn't you just make it up?

When he finally gets to the end of the ceremony he announces: 'Ladies and gentlemen, I give you great honour and great joy and privilege to announce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Jessica O'Donnell'