Giving Notice of Marriage in England and Wales
"People don't buy what you do. People buy why you do it."
Giving Notice of marriage in ENgland and Wales
To get married or form a civil partnership in the UK, you need to follow specific procedures:
Giving Notice
Before your ceremony, you must declare your intention to marry or form a civil partnership. This declaration is known as 'giving notice'.
Timeframes
You should give notice a minimum of 29 days before your planned ceremony. For example, if you provide notice on the 1st of May, the earliest you can have your ceremony is on the 30th of May. Remember, you should conduct your ceremony within a year of giving notice.
Religious Weddings /
If you're planning a religious wedding, the notice process might differ. It's advisable to consult with your chosen church for specifics.
Where to Give Notice
Typically, you'd schedule an appointment at your local register office to give notice.
If you and your partner reside in different registration districts, you'll need to give notice separately. However, you don't need to do it simultaneously.
example - if one of you lives in Caerdiff and the other lives in London you will need to give notice to both Cardiff offices and the appropriate London office.
Partners from Outside the UK
If one of you isn't a UK resident, both of you should give notice together, unless both possess British or Irish citizenship, settled or pre-settled status under the EU, or have applied to the EU. In such cases, you should give notice together at a register office. If your partner gave notice separately before 1 July 2021, they'd need to give notice again alongside you.
For further details or to obtain related documents, it's recommended to visit your local register office or the official government website.
Documentation You Will Need
When preparing to give notice for marriage or a civil partnership in the UK, it's essential to have the correct documentation.
Here's a breakdown of what you'll need:
Essential Documents
- The final venue details for your ceremony.
- A valid passport. If you were born before 1 January 1983 in the UK, you can also present your UK birth certificate.
- Proof of any name changes, such as a deed poll copy.
Proof of Address - any one of the following:
- A valid UK or Irish driving licence.
- A gas, water, or electricity bill from the past three months.
- A bank or building society statement from the previous month.
- A Council Tax bill from the last year.
- A mortgage statement from the past year.
- A current tenancy agreement.
- A letter from your landlord (dated within the last week) confirming your residence, which includes the landlord’s details and signature.
- If you usually reside outside the UK, provide a UK contact address, which could be a relative's, friend's, or partner's address.
Previous Marriages or Civil Partnerships
- If you've been previously married or in a civil partnership, bring either a decree absolute/final order or your former partner’s death certificate.
- If your divorce, annulment, or dissolution was granted outside the UK, Channel Islands, or Isle of Man, you'll need to provide proof.
There's a fee (£50 for local register office checks or £75 if the General Register Office checks) associated with this.
Non-UK Residents
- A passport-sized photo for each individual (even if only one person is from outside the UK).
- Proof of your current immigration status, like your visa.
- Translations for any non-English documents.
EU/EEA Residents
Confirmation of either your settled or pre-settled status. You'll need a 'share code' from the 'view and prove your immigration status' service.
If you applied to the EU on or before 30 June 2021 and are awaiting a decision, bring your application certificate.
Always ensure you have the original documents for your appointment. Consider visiting the official government website or your local register office for more details or related services.
Giving Notice of marriage in England and Wales
Get In Touch
Andrew Miller
Weak tea-drinking, crap joke-telling, Jaffa Cake eating, Bon Jovi loving, incredibly handsome wedding photographer (probably).
As a tea-sipping, pun-cracking, Jaffa Cake munching, Bon Jovi enthusiast, and strikingly good-looking wedding photographer (most likely), I am more than just a Bristol-based wedding photographer.
Wedding photographers in Bristol, like myself, often go beyond just capturing images.
I meticulously plan, organise, and create lasting wedding memories for weddings in Bristol and Somerset. My camera bags carry more non-photography related items than most would carry in a purse... Hairspray. Brush. Hair Grips. Jaffa Cakes. Deodorant. Blister kit. Plasters. Paracetamol. Crochet hook. Unicorns. Eyelash glue. Sewing kit. Heel Protectors. Scissors. Nail file. Bust tape. Umbrellas. Emergency hygiene kit.
Why do I do this? Because the last thing you need on your wedding day is to stress over the small stuff. Let me handle those details while you focus on celebrating the day with your loved ones.
And did I mention my fondness for Jaffa Cakes? I usually have a box or two on hand, just in case! ;-)
Red Flags When We Meet
NO Jaffa Cakes. You bring me a box (or more if you fancy) of Jaffa Cakes when we meet and I’ll give you a 10% discount. No Jaffa Cakes, no discount. This is firm rule (not a guideline by the way).
I don’t share my Jaffa Cakes. Don’t make me fight you to prove it. I have no scruples when dealing with Jaffa Cakes.
NO Bon Jovi. Optional, but bonus points if you like Bon Jovi!
NO Weak De-Caf Tea. Optional...but you'll get hundreds of points if you can make me a cuppa that is perfect. Decaf tea, no milk, no sugar and weak enough to see the bottom of the mug easily.
TL;DR
No pretentious crap. Just solid hard work and amazing wedding photography. Just buy me Jaffa Cakes.
#JaffaCakeWeddingPhotographer #BristolWeddingPhotographer #YourWeddingPhotographer