If you are having a legal wedding ceremony, then there are certain steps you will need to take ahead of the big day. Whilst we can’t literally hold your hand during this part of your wedding planning journey, we can explain exactly what to expect! So if you’re wondering what ‘giving notice’ actually means and what a registrar actually does – here’s everything you need to know about legally getting married in England and Wales at a licensed wedding venue.
Booking your legal wedding ceremony
Once you have decided on your wedding venue and the date of your wedding, you will need to book the registrar for your ceremony. For a Treseren wedding, you will need to contact the Cornwall Registration Service. The team at My Cornwall Wedding are friendly and experienced and will be delighted to help you arrange your ceremony. When booking, you’ll need to request a:
‘Distinctive Ceremony held at a Licensed Venue’
You will pay for your ceremony directly with the registration service, and it is completely seperate to your venue booking. Your venue will guide you on what time to book your ceremony for, based on your bespoke plans. Once your ceremony booking is confirmed, you will receive confirmation along with helpful information in the post. For the legal part of your ceremony, you will choose from a selection of legal vows and declarations. Whilst the legal wordings do need to be exact, there is so much freedom for creativity surrounding the other elements of your ceremony, and your registrar will work with you to create a completely bespoke, personal ceremony that is fitting to your love story.
Giving notice of marriage
In England and Wales, you cannot legally marry without giving notice of marriage.
- Notice must be given within 12 months of your wedding
- And no later than 29 days before the ceremony
You’ll need to book an appointment with the registration service local to where you live, not where you’re getting married. Most local councils offer online booking systems, making this simple to arrange.
What to take with you – You’ll usually need:
- Your passport
- Your driving license
- Proof of address (such as an up to date utility bill or council tax bill)
- The full address of your wedding venue
Of course, every situation is different, so if additional documentation is required, this will be confirmed when you book your appointment.
If you both live in the same registration district, you can attend together, though you’ll each have a short individual interview while the other person waits outside (around 25 minutes). You’ll be asked for basic details about yourselves and your partner, before signing to confirm the information is correct.
A month before your wedding date
This is when you will discuss the personal details of your ceremony, with the registrar who will be delivering your ceremony. This is usually a phone or video call, and your registrar will contact you directly to book this. They will take the time to get to know you and learn about your relationship, to inform them of details to include. You will talk through the vows you have chosen, and any readings or additional elements that you would like to include. They will also ask who you have chosen to be your legal witnesses. You will need to select a minimum of two guests who will sign the marriage schedule alongside the registrar, to confirm your marriage has taken place.
A common question – Do I sign with my married name or my current name?
You sign using your current legal name — any name changes happen after the wedding.
On your wedding day
On your wedding day, your registrar will arrive with a colleague around 30 minutes before your ceremony. They will liaise with your wedding coordinator ensuring everything is running smoothly, before taking a few quiet moments with each of you separately.
You’ll each have a short, private conversation with the registrar — this is simply a final check-in. For example, if your ceremony is due to begin at 2pm, one of you might be spoken to at 1.30pm, and the other at 1.45pm.
There’s no paperwork required for this conversation, and nothing to prepare. It’s an opportunity for the registrar to confirm that you’re both happy for the marriage to go ahead as planned and that the details they have are correct — a calm pause before the ceremony itself begins.
For more details on exactly how your ceremony will flow and what will be included, visit our ‘What is a Civil Ceremony Guide‘.
What if we don’t live in the UK?
If one, or both of you do no live in England, then you can still legally marry here, there are just slightly different rules to follow. You are required to have lived in the district that you give notice in for at least 7 full consecutive days and nights immediately before giving notice – so a pre-wedding holiday to England is a must! This can be any district and does not have to be where your wedding venue is. You will also need to research marriage visas and documentation applicable to your exact circumstances. We have been delighted to host a number of international weddings at Treseren and can offer tailored advice together with the My Cornwall Weddings team.
Can wedding witnesses be family?
You can have anybody as your witness! As long as they are witnessing you legally marrying, it can be anybody who signs to say that the marriage happened. There is no law on the minimum age, just that they need to be of age to understand what is happening.
Do we need to bring any paperwork with us on the wedding day?
No, you will have already completed all of the checks by this stage and the registrars will not ask to see any paperwork or idendification on the wedding day.
What about the ceremony music?
Your registrar does not need to know your song choice details (although they would be happy to chat it through with you!), this is arranged directly with your venue. For a legal marriage outside of a church, there cannot be any religious wording or content throughout the ceremony, so your registrar may ask you to confirm that the songs you have chosen are non-religious.
When do I receive my marriage certificate?
You will not get a marriage certificate on the day of your ceremony. The certificate will be issued within seven days of the information being entered onto the electronic register and you ordering it. You are not automatically sent a marriage certificate; you will need to order one from the register office of the district you married in. Your certificate will be required for lots of legal documentation, especially if you are changing your name. You’ll need your marriage certificate to change your names on your bank accounts, insurance and passport, for example.
What if I am getting married in a church?
If you’re marrying in a church where the officiant is legally authorised to conduct marriages, the process is slightly different. The banns of marriage will be read before church service over 4 weeks, allowing time for any legal objections. Your church will be able to guide you through this process and confirm exactly what’s required.
