What it costs to get legally married
The unavoidable legal costs, separated from the discretionary wedding ones.
How much does it cost to get married?
The legal costs of marrying in England and Wales: notice fees per person, ceremony fees set by the council, and certificate copies.
The marriage notice fee
What the notice of marriage fee covers, who pays it, when it is payable and when it increases.
How much does a register office wedding cost?
What a register office wedding costs in England and Wales: notice fees, statutory ceremony fees, larger ceremony rooms and certificate copies.
What are register office ceremony fees for?
What register office ceremony fees actually cover, why they vary by council, and how they differ from the notice and certificate fees.
How much does a marriage certificate cost?
What you pay for a copy of your marriage certificate, when you can order one, and why the fee is set nationally rather than by your council.
What does an approved-venue ceremony cost?
How costs work when you marry at an approved venue rather than a register office: the venue's own charge plus a registration service fee.
What is the cheapest way to get legally married?
The lowest-cost legal route to marriage in England and Wales: a weekday register office ceremony with two witnesses, plus notice and certificate fees.
A breakdown of what you actually pay to get married
Every fee involved in getting legally married in England and Wales, in order: notice, ceremony, certificate, and any extra document costs.
Marriage fees if you are subject to immigration control
How costs and timing differ if either of you is subject to immigration control: an extra Home Office referral fee and a longer notice period may apply.
Do marriage fees vary by council?
Which marriage fees are fixed nationally and which ones your local council sets — and why comparing prices between areas is worth doing.
Not sure which rules apply to you?
Answer a few quick questions and see your route, your likely register office and your earliest date.
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