How do I arrange to get married?
You will need to consider your answers to each of the following questions:-
- When do you want to get married?
- Where do both persons live?
- Where is the marriage ceremony to take place?
Please select the appropriate question to go to that section in order to determine what you need to do in order to arrange your marriage ceremony. Please note, if you or your partner is subject to immigration control (that is, not a citizen of the European Economic Area) you will need to give notice of intention together at a designated register office. Click here for more information.
When do you want to get married?
We want to get married as soon as possible
The law specifies that the minimum waiting time between giving notice of intended marriage and getting married is 15 clear days. Both parties to the marriage must also have lived in their respective districts for at least eight days before notice of marriage is given. Each person must attend, in person, the Register Office for the district in which they live to give their notice of marriage. Please call 020 7641 1161 to book an appointment.
If the marriage is to be by civil ceremony, either in a Register Office or an approved venue, it is not necessary for either of the parties to live in the district where the marriage is to be held. However, notice of marriage must be given in the district/s in which the couple live.
The only exception is where one of the persons getting married is terminally ill. In these circumstances the marriage can take place very quickly, sometimes on the same day that the arrangements have been made, and the marriage can take place at home, in a hospital or any other place where the party who is terminally ill happens to be.
In exceptional circumstances the Registrar General can reduce the 15 day waiting period on application by the persons getting married. This application attracts a consideration fee for each notice of marriage and there is no guarantee that an application will be successful. The Registrar General has made it clear that the reasons for reducing the waiting period will have to be good and has already stated that the fact of persons arriving from abroad and wanting to be married whilst on holiday will not be sufficient reason to reduce the waiting period. Information on making application to reduce the waiting period should be made to your local Register Office.
We want to get married within the next year
You will need to give legal notice of your intended marriage in the district/s in which you both live.
This will require each of you to attend the Register Office of the district in which you live, provided that both of you has lived in that district for at least eight days before the notice of marriage is given.
If you live in separate districts you need to give individual notices in both those districts, provided that both of you has lived in your respective districts for the eight days before giving notice.
If the marriage is to be by civil ceremony, either in a Register Office or an approved venue, it is not necessary to live in the district where the marriage is to be held. However, notice of marriage must be given in the Register Office or offices for the district/s in which you have lived for the eight days prior to giving the notice. The marriage can then take place after 15 clear days, from the date of giving the later notice. The marriage must take place within 12 months from the date of giving the first notice.
Where do both persons live?
Both persons live in Westminster
As long as both persons have lived in Westminster for more than eight days they can give legal notice of their intended marriage. Each person must attend the Register Office, in person, to give their own notice of marriage although this does not have to be at the same time. Please call to book an appointment on 020 7641 1161.
They must be married within 12 months of giving the legal notice and they must wait at least 15 clear days from the date they give the notice before getting married.
If one person has not yet lived in Westminster for eight days the couple must wait to fulfil the eight day residence requirement. This period of residence can only be reduced in circumstances where one of the persons getting married is terminally ill.
One person lives in Westminster and the other in another district in England and Wales
If the person living in Westminster has been resident for eight days and the other person has lived in their district for eight days as well the notice of marriage can be given in both districts.
The authorities to enable the marriage to take place can be issued after 15 clear days and a document will be issued from each district. The marriage must take place within 12 months of giving the first notice of marriage.
Please note, if you or your partner is subject to immigration control (that is, not a citizen of the European Economic Area) you will need to give notice of intention together at a designated register office. Click here for more information.
Both persons living in England and Wales but neither in Westminster
The persons must give legal notice of their intention to marry in the districts in which they live. If they live in the same district, and have lived in that district for at least eight days, each person must give individual notice of their intention to marry. They then have to wait at least 15 clear days before the marriage can proceed and the marriage must take place within 12 months of giving the first notice.
If they live in different districts, and both have lived there for at least eight days, notice must be given individually in both districts. It is necessary for each person to attend their own register office. It is not possible for notice to be given in both districts by one person.
The documents to allow the marriage to proceed can be issued after 15 clear days from the date of giving notice.
Please note, if you or your partner is subject to immigration control (that is, not a citizen of the European Economic Area) you will need to give notice of intention together at a designated register office. Click here for more information.
One person living in Westminster and the other is not in England and Wales
Notice of intended marriage cannot be given until the party living outside the country has arrived.
They must then wait eight days in order that the person arriving from abroad can establish residence in England and Wales. Notice of marriage can then be given but they must wait 15 clear days before the marriage can take place. This means the minimum time lapse between arriving in the country and getting married is 25 days.
Please note, if you or your partner is subject to immigration control (that is, not a citizen of the European Economic Area) you will need to give notice of intention together at a designated register office. Click here for more information.
| Day 1 | Arrive in England/Wales and reside in one district in England/Wales |
| Day 9 | Give notice of intention with partner at a designated register office in England/Wales |
| Day 25 | Certificates for marriage can be issued and the wedding can take place from this day forward (within 12 months from the date of notice) |
Where is the marriage ceremony to take place?
If both persons live in the Westminster district notice of intention to marry must be given, by both persons. This can be done together (or separately if both are EEA nationals) but the marriage can only take place a minimum of 15 clear days from the giving of the last notice. At the time of giving notice a date and time can be arranged. However, the marriage must take place within 12 months of giving the first notice. Please call 020 7641 1161 to book an appointment to give notice.
If one person lives in Westminster and the other lives in another district in England and Wales, notice of marriage must be given in both districts of residence. It is usual for the notice to be given first in the district where the marriage is to take place and this will secure a date and time. A notice must also be given in the other district, usually within seven days of the first notice being given. There is a minimum of 15 clear days waiting period, from the date of the second notice being given, before the marriage can take place and a document from the other district must be presented in Westminster prior to the marriage. The marriage must take place within 12 months of giving the first notice.
If neither person lives in Westminster it is advisable to first make a provisional booking with Westminster to secure the date and time. Notice is then given in the district or districts of residence of the parties to the marriage.
Please note, if you or your partner is subject to immigration control (that is, not a citizen of the European Economic Area) you will need to give notice of intention together at a designated register office. Click here for more information.
Another Register Office in England or Wales
It is advisable to first make a provisional booking with the office in which you want to get married. You then need to give notice of your intention to get married in the district where you live.
If you live in different districts notice of marriage must be given in both districts of residence. There is a minimum of 15 clear days waiting period, from the date of the second notice being given, before the marriage can take place and a document from both districts must be presented to the office where you are getting married prior to the marriage. The marriage must take place within 12 months of giving the first notice.
Please note, if you or your partner is subject to immigration control (that is, not a citizen of the European Economic Area) you will need to give notice of intention together at a designated register office. Click here for more information.
Approved venues
Local Authorities are now able to licence other places for civil marriages as long as they are suitable. These places are called approved venues. This means it is now possible for civil weddings to take place in hotels, stately homes and other historic buildings as long as the venue has been licensed. A full list of all approved venues in England and Wales can be obtained from the General Register Office on payment of a fee. However, a list of local venues is normally available free of charge from the Register Office.
Couples can be married in any approved venue in any district in England and Wales. Notice of marriage still has to be given in the district or districts in which the couple live. The marriage authorities, have to be presented to the register office in which the approved venue is located before the marriage can take place. However, if the couple do not live in the district in which the approved venue is situated a provisional booking should always be made with the local register office. The marriage must take place within 12 months of the first notice being given.
It is important to remember that marriage in an approved venue only exists for civil marriage and does not apply to any type of religious ceremony.
At Home
Persons of the Jewish religion are able to marry in a private house, hotel or even outside in a garden as long as the marriage is to be conducted according to Jewish religious rites and both parties are of the Jewish faith. The marriage can take place at any time and does not have to be within the usual hours for marriage which are 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Notice of marriage must be given by both parties in their district/s of residence and the marriage can take place a minimum of 15 clear days from the date of giving the later notice. The marriage must take place within 12 months of giving the first notice.
A person who is housebound is able to marry in their own home or in a hospital. A doctor must be prepared to sign a statement, in prescribed form, that the person is not able to be moved to a place normally registered for marriage and that is likely to be the case for three months. This statement form, Form 40, can be obtained from your local Register Office and must be signed not more than 14 days before giving the notice. Notice of marriage must be given in the district/s of residence of both parties. In the case of the housebound person the notice will have to be taken at home. This will attract an additional statutory fee on top of the usual notice fee. The marriage can take place a minimum of 15 days from the date of giving the later notice. The marriage must take place within three months of giving the first notice.
A person who is terminally ill is able to marry in a house or hospital. In these circumstances a doctor must sign a letter confirming that he/she is in medical attendance on the person and the person is terminally ill and not expected to recover. The letter must also state that the person cannot be moved to a place where marriages could normally take place and can fully understand the importance of the marriage ceremony. The marriage can take place once the Registrar General has issued the licence for the marriage. This process can be almost immediate and is often on the same day that the arrangements are made. The marriage must take place within one month of giving the notice. Only one notice is given under these circumstances and it is always given in the district in which the marriage is to take place.
In a place of Worship
Before arranging a religious marriage, you will need to have talked to the authorities at your place of worship.
If you intend to marry in the Church of England it is unlikely that you need the information on this page and we suggest that you telephone the Church of England Faculty Office on 020 7222 5381.
In most other instances you will need to give notice of your intention to get married. This happens in the district where you live. Each party to the marriage must give their own Notice.
If you live in different districts, notice of marriage must be given in both districts of residence. There is a minimum of 15 clear days waiting period, from the date of the second notice being given, before the marriage can take place and a document from both districts must be presented to the person performing the ceremony, prior to the marriage. The marriage must take place within one year of giving the first notice.
You may be required to have a Registrar present to register your marriage.
The religious authorities should give all these details to you.
If you are in any doubt, please telephone the Register Office on 020 7641 1161.
In Prison
A marriage can take place in a prison as long as the Prison authorities agree that the marriage can be performed there. This agreement must be in the form of a statement, in the prescribed form, that must be signed by the Prison Governor not more than 21 days before giving the notice of marriage. A notice must be given by the person in prison to the local registrar. The registrar will be required to visit the prison in order to take the notice and this visit will attract an additional statutory fee. The other party to the marriage will also have to give a notice to the registrar of the district in which they live. The marriage, which can be civil or religious, can take place 15 clear days after the giving of the later notice. The marriage must take place within three months of giving the first notice.
In another country
Notice of marriage can be given in the district/s where a couple live if the marriage is taking place in another country. However, this facility exists only in certain circumstances. If a British subject is getting married to a foreign national in a foreign country notice can be given under the provisions of the Marriage with Foreigners Act. This facility requires the British subject to give notice of marriage in the district, in England and Wales, in which they have lived for three weeks before giving the notice. Only one notice of marriage is given and the certificate of no impediment can be issued 21 clear days after the notice. In circumstances where two British subjects are getting married in a foreign country and both live in England and Wales notice of marriage must be given by both parties in the district/s in which they have lived for the eight days before giving the notice. The informal certificates of no impediment can be issued 15 clear days from the date on which the notices were given. There is no facility for giving notice of marriage in circumstances where two British subjects are getting married in a British Commonwealth country. If you are not sure whether you are able to give legal notice of marriage or your circumstances are different from those outlined above you should phone the Register Office for information.
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