Marriage planning and legal guides

Everything we know about marrying legally in England and Wales, organised by topic. Every page links to the official source and shows when we last reviewed it.

Getting married in England and Wales

26 guides

Start here if you know you want to marry but not what the law asks of you. These pages cover the whole journey in plain English, from eligibility to the day itself.

Notice of marriage: how giving notice works

31 guides

Notice is the legal step couples most often leave too late. These pages explain where you give it, what happens at the appointment and how the waiting period works.

Marriage requirements in England and Wales

26 guides

Eligibility, residency and paperwork. These pages tell you what you must be able to prove before a register office can accept your notice.

The marriage process, step by step

21 guides

The same legal steps, in the order that avoids wasted appointments and lost deposits.

Marriage timing: notice periods and earliest dates

23 guides

How long each step really takes, so you can work backwards from the date you want.

What it costs to get legally married

18 guides

The unavoidable legal costs, separated from the discretionary wedding ones.

Marrying with international circumstances

20 guides

When one or both of you is subject to immigration control, or documents come from abroad, the standard route changes. These pages explain how.

Marrying in less straightforward circumstances

20 guides

Most complications are administrative, not legal. These pages explain what extra evidence your circumstances require.

Free tools

Earliest marriage date, notice checker and register office finder.

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Register offices

Local information, checked against official council sources.

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