Marriage checklist for England and Wales
The legal checklist is short: eligibility evidence, ceremony date and venue, registrars for the ceremony district, notice appointments, notice given, waiting period, witnesses, and certificate copies. Only two items — replacement documents and appointment availability — routinely take weeks.
Do first
These are the long-lead items and the reason plans slip.
- Locate original final order, dissolution order or death certificate
- Check passport expiry dates for both of you
- Check notice appointment availability in both districts
Then
- Hold the ceremony date with the ceremony district's registration service
- Confirm the venue in writing
- Book both notice appointments
- Give notice and pay the fees
Before the day
- Confirm two witnesses aged 18 or over
- Confirm ceremony wording and any readings with the registrars
- Order marriage certificate copies
What this means for you
- Nothing on this list is optional for a legal marriage, but most of it is quick.
- If a step depends on a third party — a court, a passport office, a council — start it now.
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.