How to Register a Wedding in the UK

Richard Webb [CC-BY-SA-2.0
 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)],
via Wikimedia Commons

So, you're engaged.

Congratulations! - now the real work begins.

Weddings cause headaches. It's true. Even the smallest, most intimate of ceremonies require some degree of planning. Decisions, unfortunately, do not make themselves. Here at White Wedding Days however, we want to help take some of the pressure off. We'll be looking at all aspects of wedding planning: venues, flowers, dresses, invitations and much more.We have an online directory, too. It's free to search and you can find it here.

If you're a same-sex couple, or if you'd like to find out more about gay marriage, then please visit our sister site Pink Wedding Days here.

Today, we're looking at how to register a wedding in the UK.

If you can answer yes to these two questions, then your wedding is on.

• Over 16 years old?

• Single, divorced or widowed? 

Hold up, you're not related are you?

No?

Excellent (and thank goodness).

You'll need to give notice at your local register office, and you'll need to have been living in that district for at least 7 day previous to this.

At the register office, you'll need to prove your identity. Take your passport, birth certificate or driving licence. If you're a foreign national, you can take your identity card. Make sure you pick two forms to show the registrar. You'll also need to show a proof of address.

If you're planning a religious ceremony, then you might not need to register the marriage yourself. Often, the religion will do this for you.

Check with your venue if you're unsure.

Registering a marriage takes about 15/16 days. Both you and your partner's names will be on display to give people ample opportunity to raise a reasonable legal objection. If you are re-marrying, then remember to take your divorce certificate as proof.

It currently costs £35 to register your notice.

And that's it.

I mean, it isn't, but that's all you have to do to register. You've then got twelve months from the date of issue to have your ceremony.