Getting married step by step
Work in this order: check eligibility, hold a ceremony date with the venue and the ceremony district's registration service, gather documents, book notice appointments, give notice, wait the statutory period, then marry. Doing it in a different order is what causes couples to pay twice.
Before you book anything
Confirm that you are both free to marry and can evidence it. If either of you has been married before, locate the original final order or death certificate now — replacements can take weeks.
Holding the date
Contact the registration service for the district where the ceremony will take place and provisionally hold the date and registrars, then confirm with the venue.
Count backwards from that date: you need the notice period plus appointment waiting time plus a margin.
Notice and the wait
Give notice as soon as your details are settled and you are inside the twelve-month validity window. Notice records specific venue details, so material changes afterwards can invalidate it.
During the waiting period, confirm the ceremony content, witnesses and any certificate copies you want on the day.
What this means for you
- A twelve-week runway is comfortable. Eight weeks is tight. Under six weeks usually needs flexibility on date or venue.
- Book notice appointments before you assume the notice period is your only wait.
Official sources
Last reviewed: 16 August 2026 · Next review due 16 November 2026
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Related guides
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.