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
20 guidesStart 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.
- How to get married in the UK
- Getting married in England
- Getting married in Wales
- Getting married step by step
- What makes a marriage legal in England and Wales?
- What is a civil marriage?
- What do you need for a civil ceremony?
- How does getting married work in England and Wales?
- Can you get married without having a wedding?
- Marriage or civil partnership: what is the difference?
- Who can get married in England and Wales?
- Who can be a witness at your wedding?
- How do you choose the right ceremony type?
- How does religious marriage work in England and Wales?
- What are banns and do you need them for a church wedding?
- What is an approved venue for a civil wedding?
- How do you get your marriage certificate after the wedding?
- How do you change your name after getting married?
- Can you marry abroad and have it recognised in the UK?
- Are you eligible to get married? A quick check
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.
- Notice of marriage
- How to give notice of marriage
- What happens at a notice appointment?
- Which register office do I give notice at?
- Giving notice of marriage
- What are the requirements for giving notice of marriage?
- What documents do you need for your marriage notice appointment?
- What happens at a notice of marriage appointment?
- How long does giving notice of marriage take?
- When should you give notice of marriage?
- How early can you give notice of marriage?
- Which register office do you give notice at?
- Can you give notice at different register offices?
- Can you give notice of marriage without your partner present?
- Do both people need to attend a notice of marriage appointment?
- How do you book a notice of marriage appointment?
- What is the marriage notice period?
- What happens if your marriage notice expires?
- Can you change your wedding venue after giving notice?
- What happens if you move house after giving notice?
- Can you marry somewhere different from where you gave notice?
- What is the residency requirement for giving notice of marriage?
- Can you use an expired passport at your notice appointment?
- Do you need to give civil notice for a religious ceremony?
- How do you give notice of marriage if you live abroad?
Eligibility, residency and paperwork. These pages tell you what you must be able to prove before a register office can accept your notice.
- Legal requirements for marriage in England and Wales
- What documents do I need to get married?
- What ID do you need to get married?
- Proof of address for your marriage notice
- Marriage requirements in England
- Marriage requirements in Wales
- The residency requirement for giving notice of marriage
- What is the minimum age to marry in England and Wales?
- Do you need a birth certificate for your marriage notice?
- Passport requirements for giving notice of marriage
- What documents do you need if you were married before?
- How to prove a name change for your marriage notice
- Do foreign documents need translating for your marriage notice?
- Evidence of nationality and immigration status for marriage
- Do you need a birth certificate to get married?
- Witness requirements for a legal marriage
- Prohibited degrees of relationship for marriage
- Capacity to consent to marriage
- Missing or lost documents: what to do before your notice appointment
- Marriage requirements checklist
The marriage process, step by step
15 guidesThe same legal steps, in the order that avoids wasted appointments and lost deposits.
- The marriage process in England and Wales
- Marriage checklist for England and Wales
- How the marriage process works in England
- How the marriage process works in Wales
- The marriage process, step by step
- How marriage registration works
- Booking your marriage ceremony
- What order should the legal steps happen in?
- What happens on the wedding day?
- After the ceremony: what happens next?
- What to expect at a register office ceremony
- How long does the marriage process take?
- The marriage process for a small or simple wedding
- Common mistakes couples make in the marriage process
- The marriage process if you live in different districts
How long each step really takes, so you can work backwards from the date you want.
- The 28-day marriage notice period
- What is the earliest date I can get married?
- How quickly can I get married in the UK?
- How long does it take to get married in the UK?
- Can I get married quickly in the UK?
- What is the 70-day notice period?
- When does the notice period start?
- How long is notice of marriage valid for?
- When is the best time to give notice of marriage?
- A 3-month marriage timeline
- A 6-month marriage timeline
- Last-minute wedding: what's realistically possible?
- How long is the wait for a notice appointment?
- What is a Registrar General's licence?
- Working backwards from your wedding date
What it costs to get legally married
10 guidesThe unavoidable legal costs, separated from the discretionary wedding ones.
- How much does it cost to get married?
- The marriage notice fee
- How much does a register office wedding cost?
- What are register office ceremony fees for?
- How much does a marriage certificate cost?
- What does an approved-venue ceremony cost?
- What is the cheapest way to get legally married?
- A breakdown of what you actually pay to get married
- Marriage fees if you are subject to immigration control
- Do marriage fees vary by council?
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 a foreign national in England and Wales
- Marrying a foreign national in England
- What does 'subject to immigration control' mean for marriage?
- What is a referred notice of marriage?
- Marrying on a fiance(e) visa
- Can you marry someone on a standard visitor visa?
- Using overseas documents to give notice of marriage
- Will your overseas divorce be recognised so you can remarry?
- Marrying in the UK when one of you lives abroad
- What is a certificate of no impediment?
- Marrying an EU citizen in England or Wales
- Do your documents need translating or an apostille?
- How dual nationality affects getting married
- Will your overseas marriage be recognised in the UK?
- Can you register a marriage that took place abroad?
Most complications are administrative, not legal. These pages explain what extra evidence your circumstances require.
- Getting married after divorce
- Getting married after your spouse has died
- Getting married after a civil partnership has ended
- Converting your civil partnership into a marriage
- Marrying after a divorce that took place abroad
- Getting married when you and your partner live in different districts
- Getting married after you have already changed your name
- Getting married if you do not have a fixed address
- Getting married at home or in hospital
- Getting married with access needs or a disability
- Getting married while serving in the armed forces
- Can you get married under 18 in England and Wales?
- Getting married when you are housebound or detained
- Getting married after changing your name by deed poll
- Getting married when your documents are in different names
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