I/He/She was married in the Westminster, Paddington or Marylebone Register Offices/ approved venue

You can obtain a copy from the Westminster Register Office at Westminster Council House, Marylebone Road, London NW1 5PT. The application for a marriage certificate can be made in person or by post.

If you apply in person you simply attend the office between 9.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. Monday to Friday.  (Please note we open at 1 p.m. on the first working Thursday of the month). 

Please download and print the Marriage certificate application form below.  Hand in the completed form at our reception desk with the appropriate fee.

If you order your certificate before 1.00pm you can collect it between 3.30-4pm on the same day.  If you order your certificate after 1.00pm, you can collect your certificate between 3.30-4pm the next working day or alternatively, it can be posted to your address (postage will be charged).

If you apply by post you simply download, print and complete the application form above and  send with the appropriate fee.  Please note we need the name of the building in which the marriage took place in order to locate the record. 

Fees for a full or standard certificate can be found on our Current fees page.  You will need to enclose a cheque or postal order, made payable to "City of Westminster". The certificate will be sent out on the same day that we receive your application. Please enclose a Stamped Addressed Envelope with your application (ensuring you have the correct postage for the size/weight of the envelope).  Alternatively, you can add £1 to the certificate fee for postage and packing costs.

If you are writing from abroad payment has to be made in the form of an international money order expressed in Pounds Sterling.

Alternatively, payment can be made by Credit or Debit Card for births registered more than six months ago. In this instance you may obtain the certificate directly from the Registrar General's Office. You can apply online or by telephone: 0300 123 1837 (option 1) or by email: certificates.services@ips.gsi.gov.uk  A credit or debit card number must accompany a phone or email message.  Quote bank issuer, card type, issue and expiry dates, 16 digit card number, name and CCV code on the back signature strip.

I/ He/She was married in a religious building (Church, Synagogue, Temple)

If they were married in a Church of England Church the vicar would have acted in the capacity of registrar and would have registered the wedding. You can always obtain a certificate from the church in which they were married as they always keep one copy of the two marriage registers signed on the day. The other copy is sent to the Register Office of the district in which the church is located once it is full. If the church is located in Westminster and the register has been completed you can obtain a copy from Westminster Register Office, Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5PT. If the registers have not been completed, you can only obtain certificates from the church. You should phone the Westminster Register Office on 020 7641 1161, before applying to check where the register is held.

Other places of worship may also have a person appointed who acts in the capacity of civil registrar at the time of marriage. This person is known as an Authorised Person. A copy of the marriage certificate can be obtained as described in the paragraph above.

In cases where a church has not appointed an Authorised Person a registrar from the Register Office in which the church is located must attend and register any marriage taking place there. In these circumstances a marriage certificate can always be obtained from the Register Office in which the church is located.

If the marriage took place in a Synagogue, or any other location according to the Jewish religion, the Secretary of the man's Synagogue would have responsibility for the registration. A copy of the marriage certificate can be obtained from the Synagogue, which may not necessarily be in the district in which the marriage took place. If the registers relating to the year of the marriage have been completed the certificate can also be obtained from the Register Office of the district in which the Synagogue is located.

I know where and when I/he/she was married but this was not in Westminster, Paddington or Marylebone.

If you are able to state the parties full names, the date of and address of the marriage you can apply to the local Register Office for that district. Please visit the Directgov site to locate the appropriate local authority website.

I don't know where I/he/she was married

If you are unsure where the marriage took place then please contact the General Register Office on 0300 123 1837 (option 1). You can also email certificate.services@ips.gsi.gov.uk and obtain further guidance on the 'order certificates' page of the GRO website.