Does changing your wedding date cost extra?
Changing your ceremony date usually involves an admin or rebooking charge from the register office or venue, separate from any effect on your notice. Your notice itself stays valid for 12 months from when it was given, so a date change within that window doesn't usually mean giving notice again.
Rebooking the ceremony
Register offices and approved venues each set their own fee, if any, for moving a booked date to a new one. Some treat an early change as a simple, low-cost amendment; others charge closer to a full new booking fee, particularly if the change happens close to the original date.
If you're marrying at an approved venue, check whether both the venue and the registration service charge separately for the change, since they are two different bookings.
What happens to your notice
Your notice of marriage remains valid for 12 months from the date you gave it, so if your new date still falls within that period, you don't need to give notice again. If the new date falls outside the 12-month window, you'll need to give notice afresh, paying the notice fee again.
Minimising the cost
Changing your date as early as possible, rather than close to the original day, usually keeps any admin fee lower and gives the register office or venue a better chance of reselling the original slot.
- Ask for the change fee in writing before confirming a new date
- Check the new date is still within your notice's 12-month validity
- Confirm any certificate pre-orders are updated to the new date
What this means for you
- A date change is usually cheaper the earlier you make it, so tell the office as soon as you know.
- Check your notice's 12-month validity before assuming you won't need to re-give notice.
- Approved venue changes may involve two separate fees, from the venue and the registration service.
Official sources
- GOV.UK — Fees for marriages and civil partnerships
- GOV.UK — Give notice at your local register office
Last reviewed: 17 August 2026 · Next review due 17 November 2026
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Simply Married is an independent planning service, not a register office or government department. Confirm current requirements and fees with your own register office and on GOV.UK.