Your Wedding...
You may wish to marry in a church or chapel, with the ceremony conducted by an ordained minister. This is a religious ceremony. If you opt for this you will be required to be married in the area where one of you lives unless there are special circumstances.
Alternatively you may be married in a Register Office, a hotel, a castle or anywhere else that is approved by the local Registration Service as a suitable venue for wedding ceremonies. This is a civil ceremony. If you opt for this you may be married in any approved location in England and
Making the arrangements. Once you have decided which type of wedding ceremony you would like (religious or civil) you then need to inform the appropriate authority.
Since you need to give notice of your civil wedding at least 16 days before the event (more below on giving notice), then you need to start planning the big day well in advance.
Different people approach this in different ways, but on average you can make arrangements for almost any type of wedding in about 3 months.
However, Superintendent Registrars are able to take provisional wedding bookings in advance. If you leave matters too late especially during the very busy summer period you may find that Registration Officers are fully booked for the date and time you require.
In addition we would advise you not to pay any deposit for approved venues until you have checked that Registration Officers are available.
Religious Ceremonies. For religious weddings, whatever denomination you are, start by contacting someone in your local church or chapel. They will discuss your plans with you and advise what to do next.
Remember that not all clergy have the authority to register marriages. If your minister is not authorised then you will need to contact your local Superintendent Registrar as well, to make sure that a Registrar can attend your wedding to complete the registration details. In all cases, the minister will remain in charge of the ceremony. Once you have talked to your minister and confirmed the date, place and time for your wedding, you will need to give notice of the marriage. This next step is described below under “Giving Notice”.
If you want a church wedding in an area in which neither you nor your partner lives, then you will need special licence from the Church Authorities. This may be difficult to obtain without particular grounds, or special need of some sort.
Civil Ceremonies. For civil weddings, you should approach your local Superintendent Registrar, who will need to agree with you the date, time and location for your wedding. You may need to spend some time securing dates when all the people concerned with your wedding can be certain of attending. For example, a civil ceremony involves not only the Superintendent Registrar responsible for the preliminary formalities and for conducting the ceremony but also requires the attendance of a Registrar of Marriages. This officer will record the event in the official Marriage Register and will provide you and your partner with the all-important Marriage Certificate. Only if these two people are available at the same time on the date that you wish to marry can the ceremony take place. Remember, if you have chosen a location for the wedding in an area in which neither of you live, you will need to make contact with the Superintendent Registrar there too.