UK GUIDE TO WEDDINGS IN ENGLAND AND WALES
If you wish to marry in
England or Wales you may do so either by civil or
religious ceremony.
A civil ceremony can
take place at a register office or other premises
approved by the local authority for marriages (for example, hotel, stately
home.
A religious ceremony
can take at a Church or Chapel of the Church of England
or Church in Wales or at any other place of worship which has been formally
registered by the Register General for marriages.
Who do I contact to make arrangements?
This will depend on the type of ceremony and where you wish to marry.
Civil Ceremony
If you wish to marry by civil ceremony, that is at a register office or other
building approved for civil marriage, you should first contact the
superintendent registrar of the district where you wish to marry. You may
marry at any register office or approved premises of your choice in England or
Wales. However, for a marriage in an approved premises, you will also need to
make arrangements at the venue in question. In addition you will need to give
a formal notice of your marriage to the superintendent registrar of the
district(s) where you live.
Church of England or
Church of Wales
If you wish to be married in the Church of England or Church of Wales - and
generally you will be able to do so only if you or your partner live in the
parish - you should first speak to the Vicar. If he is able to marry you he
will arrange for the Banns to be called on three Sundays before the day of
your ceremony or for a common licence to be issued. The marriage will also be
registered by the Vicar and there is generally no need to involve the local
superintendent registrar.
Other Places of
Religious Worship
If you wish to marry by religious ceremony other than in the Church of England
or Church of Wales you should first arrange to see the Minister or other
person in charge of marriages at the building. However, the church or
religious building in question must normally be in the registration district
where you or your partner live.
It will also be neccessary to give formal notice of your marriage to the
superintendent registrar of the district(s) where you live. A registrar may
also need to be booked.
The Legal
Formalities
Unless you are marrying in the Church of England or Church of Wales by Banns
or Common Licence you and / or your partner must attend personally at the
register office for the district(s) where you live and give a notice of your
marriage to the superintendent registrar.
Notice of marriage can be given in one of two ways:
By Certificate
Both of you
must have lived in a registration district in England or Wales for
at least seven days immediately before giving notice at the register office.
If you both live in the same district you only need to give one notice. If you
live in different registration districts then each of you will need to give
notice in your own area. After giving notice you must wait a further
twenty-one days before the marriage can take place, (for example, if notice is
given on 1 July the marriage may take place on or after 23 July 1997).
By Licence
To marry by this method, which is often known as 'special licence' and is more
expensive, one of you must have lived in a registration district in England or
Wales for at least fifteen days before giving notice at the register office.
Your partner only needs to be resident of, or be physically in England or
Wales on the day notice is given. After notice is given the marriage can take
place after one clear day (excluding a Sunday, Christmas Day or Good Friday).
For example you can give notice on a Tuesday and be married on the Thursday.
How far in advance
may I make a booking?
A notice of marriage is valid for three months only. You may therefore not
give notice of marriage to the superintendent registrar more than three months
before the date of your marriage. However, it should be possible for you to
make an advance (provisional) booking with the superintendent registrar of the
district where you wish to marry twelve months before the ceremony. The sooner
you arrange to book the marriage the more likely it is that you will get the
date and time of your choice. The superintendent registrar will be able to
give you more precise information in this respect.
Documents you may
need to produce
When you attend before the superintendent registrar or Vicar to make the
formal arrangements you will need to produce certain documents, for example,
if you have been married before a decree absolute of divorce bearing the
court's original stamp, or if your husband or wife died a certificate of their
death.
It would also be useful if your birth certificate or passport (or some other
identity document) could be produced. Photocopies are unlikely to be
acceptable. Other documents may also be needed depending on the circumstances,
for example, the consent of parents to a marriage where one of the couple is
under the age of 18.
If you are not able to provide any of the above documents the superintendent
registrar will explain what other documents may be acceptable.
Please Note
Your marriage cannot go ahead unless the legal formalities have been
completed.
Notice of marriage must be given in person to the superintendent registrar by
you or your partner. No one else can do so on your behalf.
Where an advance booking for a marriage has been made it is essential that a
formal notice is given to the superintendent registrar once its within three
months of marriage.
Other Information
There are nationally set fees for giving notice to the superintendent
registrar and for the registrar's attendance at a marriage at a register
office or religious building. However, the fee for the attendance of the
superintendent registrar and registrar at a marriage in an approved premises
(for example, at a hotel) is set by the local authority. The superintendent
registrar of the district where you wish to marry will be able to provide you
with details of the fees payable.
On the day of the wedding you will need to bring with you at least two other
people who are prepared to witness the marriage and sign the marriage
register.
If you wish to know more about marriage ceremonies at register offices or at
approved premises please ask the superintendent registrar for details. While a
ceremony of marriage in the presence of a superintendent registrar cannot, by
law, contain any religious aspects, it may be possible with the agreement of
the registration officers attending the ceremony, for you to include
non-religious music and/or poetry readings and for the wedding to be videoed.
This guide is issued for general guidance and is not a complete statement of
the law. For further information on any aspect of the formalities to, or the
ceremony of marriage, please seek the advice of the superintendent registrar
at the local register office. His/her telephone number and address can be
found in your local telephone directory under 'Registration of Births, Deaths
and Marriages'.