Civil and religious marriage ceremonies

If you plan to get married, the first thing you need to decide is whether you want a Church of England wedding, a wedding in a different religion or a non-religious civil wedding.

Church of England wedding

If you want to get married in a Church of England or Church of Wales church, you should speak to the vicar.

If he agrees to marry you, he will arrange for the banns (announcement of marriage) to be called on three Sundays before the day of your ceremony, or for a common licence to be issued.

There is usually no need to involve the local superintendent registrar.

Different religion

For religious weddings other than at a Church of England or Church of Wales, you will need to give notice of your intention to marry to the registrar. You should contact your chosen place of worship direct for information on what to do next.

For any marriage except those in the Church of England, you need to apply for a marriage certificate and give notice to the registrar at least 16 days before the wedding takes place.

We can then make sure that a superintendent registrar and a registrar of marriages will be free to attend your chosen venue on the day.

Civil ceremony

A civil ceremony can take place in any approved venue. This means that it is licensed to hold weddings.

None of the music, readings, words or performance that form the ceremony can be religious in nature. The content of the ceremony must be agreed in advance with the superintendent registrar attending the ceremony.

Before the wedding can take place, you will need to give notice to the registrar at least 16 days before the wedding.

The minimum legal age for getting married in England and Wales is 16. However, written consent may be required for anyone under 18. Registration officers have a duty to report any marriage that they suspect has been arranged solely to avoid immigration controls.

Civil partnerships

Same-sex couples can obtain legal recognition of their relationship by entering into a civil partnership. Couples who form a civil partnership will have a new legal status, that of civil partner.

You can find out how to give notice of your intention to form a civil partnership on Directgov, while charity Stonewall also has lots of useful information on its website.