Registering a marriage

image of wedding bands on wedding invitation

If you wish to marry in England or Wales you may do so by either a civil or religious ceremony

Civil Ceremony - This type of ceremony can take place at any Register Office in England or Wales,or, since 1 April 1995, at any venue approved by the local authority as a suitable venue for weddings, these may include castles, stately homes, hotels or restaurants. Marriages cannot take place in the open air, or in movable structures such as marquees, tents boats or hot air balloons. They also cannot take place in any building that has a past or present connection with any religion. An up-to-date list of approved venues in Norfolk is available from Norfolk County Council's website, or from any Registrar.

Religious Ceremony - This type of ceremony can take place at a Church or Chapel of the Church of England or Church of Wales. Generally you will only be able to marry at a church or chapel if you or your partner live in the parish, or, if you want to get married in a religious building outside the parish where you live, if one of you usually worships there. You can also marry outside the parish in which you live if there are no buildings of your religion in your parish. If you have any queries about this ask your local Registrar.

Click on the below links for more information on each subject

Notice to marry
Making a booking
The wedding day
Witnesses
The Marriage Register
Register Offices

Notice to marry

Giving notice to marry is a declaration by you both that you are free to marry each other, and will mean you have to provide certain documents, such as proof of identity - passport, driving licence, birth certificates (you can get a copy of your birth certificate from the Register Office where your birth was registered), and proof of your address such as a utility bill. if either of you have been married previously you will also need to provide a copy of your decree absolute or former spouse's death certificate.

If you wish to marry in a Church of England Ceremony you should contact the vicar of your local church and arrange for the Banns to be read.

For civil ceremonies and religious ceremonies other than Church of England you need to give notice to the Superintendent Registrar(s) of the district(s) in which you both live. You will need to make an appointment to do this, and once notice has been given it will remain valid for 12 months. You must wait at least 15 days after giving notice before you can marry, and after this waiting period you can collect the Authorities from the district or districts in which notice was given. The Authorities are the legal documents which allow your marriage to take place. You should give the authorities to the Superintendent Registrar in the district where the wedding is to take place.

The only exception to this rule is where one of the persons getting married is terminally ill. In this case the wedding can take place much sooner, and you may also be able to have the ceremony performed at home, in hospital, or any other location where the terminally ill person is.

You must both have lived in any district in England or Wales for 7 days before giving the notice of marriage. It does not matter if you then move after notice has been given.

The notice is a legal document which must be signed by both of you, so a relative cannot give notice for you.

If one of you lives in the Channel Islands, Isle of Man or a British Commonwealth Country and is a British Citizen there are special arrangements for giving notice. You should contact your local Superintendent Registrar for advice about this.

You will be charged a fee for giving notice. Any Register Office will be able to tell you the current rate.

Making a booking

When making a booking check that both the venue and the Registrar are available at the same time before you commit to either. If you are having a Church of England wedding your vicar will go through possible dates with you. If you wish to marry in an approved premises you should first contact the manager of the premises to make a provisional booking , and then the Register Office to ensure that the registration officers are free to attend your marriage at that time and date.

The wedding day

On your wedding day please ensure you and your guests arrive in plenty of time for the ceremony to avoid inconvenience to other couples and the vicar or Registrar.

Before the ceremony the Registrar will see you in private. They will take this opportunity to check the details to be entered onto the Marriage Register. You will both be asked the following information:

your full name
your occupation
your address on the day of the marriage
the full name and occupation of your father
whether your father is retired or deceased

If you are having a civil ceremony the ceremony will be conducted by the Superintendent Registrar and recorded by the Registrar. They will be happy to answer any last minute questions you might have about the ceremony.

You should finalise any readings and music with the vicar or Registrar before the ceremony.

Witnesses

It is your responsibility to bring with you two people to act as witnesses to your marriage ceremony. They must be old enough to understand the ceremony and their part in it - which is to watch and listen to the ceremony and sign the register. Your witnesses can be friends or relatives, whoever you choose.

The Marriage Register

After the ceremony has been completed the Registrar will ask you to check that your details have been correctly recorded on the Marriage Register. it is very important that your details are recorded correctly as it can be difficult to amend at a later date. You will then be asked to sign the register, the bride signing in the name she was known by immediately before the ceremony. Your witnesses will then be asked to sign the register, followed by the Superintendent Registrar or Minister who performed the ceremony.

If you have any questions about any aspect of the marriage process, contact your local church or Register Office

Register Offices

East Dereham
Breckland Business Centre
St Withburga Lane
DEREHAM
Norfolk
NR19 1FD
By appointment
Telephone
01362 698021
for the Superintendent Registrar

Thetford
King's House
King Street
THETFORD
Norfolk
IP24 2AP
By appointment
Telephone
01842 766848
for the Superintendent Registrar

Swaffham (limited hours)
Town Hall
SWAFFHAM
By appointment
Telephone
01842 766848
for the Superintendent Registrar

Watton (limited hours)
Wayland Hall
WATTON
By appointment
Telephone
01842 766848
for the Superintendent Registrar

You can also visit the following website for more information about registering a marriage:

Norfolk County Council - register a marriage