Marriage - arrangement and ceremony
Information about:
- Religious ceremonies
- Civil ceremonies
- Documentation required
- Marrying in a foreign country
- Marriage with foreigners act
- Getting married - housebound person
- Registrar General's licence
- Fees
Marrying in England or Wales can be done by civil or religious ceremony.
Civil ceremonies can take place in a Register Office or at local authority approved venues.
Religious ceremonies can take place at a church or chapel of the Church of England or Church in Wales or at any other place of worship approved for marriages.
Religious ceremonies
To be married in the Church of England or Church in Wales – and this will usually only be possible if you live in the parish - you should first speak to the Vicar.
If the Vicar can 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 be registered by the Vicar and there is usually no need to involve the local Superintendent Registrar.
If you plan to marry by religious ceremony other than in the Church of England or Church in Wales, you should first arrange to see the person in charge of marriages at the building.
The building must normally be in the registration district where either you or your partner lives or your normal place of worship.
You must also give formal notice of marriage to the Superintendent Registrar of the districts where you both live.
Civil ceremonies
To marry by civil ceremony you should first contact the Superintendent Registrar of the district where you wish to marry.
You can marry at any Register Office or approved premises in England or Wales, although to marry at an approved premises you will also have to make arrangements at that venue.
Both parties must give a notice of marriage to the Superintendent Registrar of the districts where you live. This has to be done in person, so if you both live in the same district you must both attend. If you live in separate districts each party can visit separately
Both of you must have lived in England or Wales for at least seven days immediately before giving notice.
After giving notice, you must ALLOW 15 clear days before the marriage can take place: this is the legal minimum waiting period. You cannot give notice more than a year before the date of your marriage.
Documentation required
When you attend to give notice of marriage you will need to produce evidence of your name, age, marital status and nationality. A current valid full passport is the preferred document but a Home Office travel document or national identity card are also acceptable. If these are not available, a BRITISH birth certificate.
You must be over 18. If you are between 16 and 18 years old you must have your parents’ or guardian’s permission to marry, unless the authority for the marriage becomes due after your 18th birthday.
If you have been married before you will need to produce documentation to confirm that you are now free to marry. If you are divorced or the marriage was annulled you must have the decree absolute, bearing the court's original stamp. Photocopies are not acceptable. If the divorce was granted in a foreign country and is not in English, a certified translation of the divorce document will also be required. If you are widowed you will need to produce the death certificate of your former spouse and the marriage certificate. Again, if these are not in English, certified translations will be required.
All non-EEA nationals – unless holding Indefinite Leave to Remain or entitled to some other form of exemption - must, if they wish to marry in this country, have a Marriage Visa granted by a British Consulate overseas.
Alternatively, you can apply to the Home Office for a Certificate of Approval for marriage. Call 0870 606 7766 in office hours for information.
You should in any case call the Register Office on 020 8731 1100 Mon-Sat 9.00-4.00 for help and advice.
Your marriage cannot take place unless the legal formalities have been completed.
Marrying in a foreign country
The laws regarding getting married in a foreign country are very complex. You should first contact the Consul of the foreign country or the British Consul for the country where you want to marry. They will advise on the documentation you will be required to produce before the marriage can take place in that country.
Marriage with foreigners act
This allows a British subject, who is resident in England or Wales, to marry a foreigner in a foreign country.
You will need to give a formal notice of marriage to the Superintendent Registrar of the district in which you live and must have been resident in that district for 21 days before giving notice.
A Certificate of No Impediment will be issued after 21 clear days have elapsed since notice was given. This will need to be produced to the British Consul for where the marriage is to take place and, after all formalities are completed, they will issue their certificate for you to give to the foreign marriage authority.
This is only a brief summary and for guidance only, full advice should be obtained from the relevant Consul and your local register office.
Getting married - housebound person
It is possible for housebound people to get married where they live, in either civil or religious ceremonies.
If the marriage is to be by civil ceremony, a Superintendent Registrar and a Registrar must attend to perform and register the marriage.
If the marriage is to be by religious ceremony, other than Church of England, a registrar will need to attend to register the marriage.
A statement is needed from a registered medical practitioner before someone can be classed as housebound.
The medical practitioner must state that the person should not be moved, due to illness or disability, from their home or hospital for at least three months.
The statement must be made not more than 14 days before notice of marriage is given.
The marriage must be solemnized at the place named in the statement.
The Superintendent Registrar will attend the housebound person to take the notice of marriage, the other party must give notice in the usual way at the register office for the district in which they reside. Please read the section "Legal Formalities", as all the usual requirements for marriage must be met.
The full list of fees is shown in the Fees section (link please)
Further and more detailed information can be obtained from your local register office
Registrar General’s Licence
This provides for a marriage to take place in circumstances where one of the parties is terminally ill and cannot be moved to a place where the marriage would normally be solemnized.
The marriage may be by civil or religious ceremony, excepting Church of England or Church in Wales, where you must apply to the Archbishop of Canterbury for a special licence.
No residential qualification is necessary, but notice of marriage must be given by one of the parties to the Superintendent Registrar of the district where the marriage is to take place.
Medical evidence of the sick person's condition and their capacity to understand the meaning of the marriage ceremony will be required. Both parties must be legally free to marry and normal evidence of name, age and marital status will be required.
There is no waiting period for the grant of the Registrar General's Licence and, once granted, the marriage may be solemnized at the place stated, at any hour of the day or night but within one month of the granting of the licence.
If the marriage is to be by civil ceremony, the Superintendent Registrar and Registrar must attend to perform and register the marriage.
If it is to be by religious ceremony, other than Church of England or Church in Wales, a Registrar must attend to register the marriage.
The only fees payable in respect of the issue of Registrar General's Licence is £15.00, which is refundable if the licence is not granted.
You must contact the Superintendent Registrar of the district if you wish to apply for a licence.
Fees
This is the list of fees payable to the Superintendent Registrar and/or Registrar in respect of their duties relating to civil or religious marriage ceremonies at the Register Office and registered buildings.
These are statutory fees and are the same throughout England and Wales. The fees for the attendance of a Superintendent Registrar and Registrar at a civil ceremony in an approved premise are set by the local authority and may vary between districts. You should consult your local register office for a list of their fees.
Payable to the Superintendent Registrar
- For giving a Notice of Marriage (each notice) - £30
- For attending a housebound person to give a Notice of Marriage - £47
- For attending a housebound person to conduct a civil ceremony - £47
- For Registrar General's Licence - £15
Payable to the Registrar
- For registering a marriage at the Register Office - £47
- For registering a marriage at a registered building - £47
- For registering a marriage of a housebound person - £47
