Weddings

There are certain things that must be done before all civil and non-conformist marriage ceremonies. This involves giving a notice of marriage to the Superintendent Registrar of the district where the bride and groom lives. It is a requirement that the bride and groom give separate notices of marriage. A fee is payable for each notice and is non-refundable.

This notice is a legal statement of the bride or groom's circumstances, confirming that they are free to marry and must be given in person to the Superintendent Registrar within the district where they live. The notice of marriage is generally valid for 12 months and may be given up to a year ahead of the marriage.

To give notice, certain conditions must be met. Both bride and groom must have lived in any registration district within England and Wales for a minimum of seven days before giving notice of marriage. If they live in different districts, they will need to give notice in each district. If they choose to marry in a register office in a district in which neither of them live, they will still need to give notice in their own district(s).

Before they do this, they must make provisional arrangements with the district where they wish the marriage to take place. After they have given notice, they must wait at least 16 days before the marriage can take place. (For example, if notice is given on 1 February, the marriage may take place on or after 17 February). During this time, the notice of marriage will be on public display in the office where the notice was given.

Documents

When giving notice of marriage to the Superintendent Registrar, the bride and groom will be asked to produce certain documents to confirm their identity and marital status.

Further information may be obtained from the General Register Office web site (www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/marriages).

If you have any queries, the Superintendent Registrar will be able to help you.

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