Ceremonies
You’ve got the paperwork sorted, and now it’s the time you’ve been waiting for. There are 3 types of ceremony you can have, and here’s what you can expect from each one.
Civil ceremony
A civil ceremony is held at a register office or any building approved for civil weddings. Although you can’t incorporate any religious content into a civil ceremony, you can add personal touches such as non-religious music, readings, and you can arrange for the wedding to be videoed. Speak to your register office about what they can provide.
A civil ceremony usually takes around 10-15 minutes. Each partner is required to repeat a standard set of promises. You can’t change these, but you can add your own, as long as the additions aren’t religious. Rings aren’t required but can be exchanged if you want to.
After the ceremony, you and your partner sign the marriage register. Before signing the register, you should check the information in the entry is correct. Two witnesses, who must be over 16, must also sign at the time of the marriage. Witnesses must understand the language spoken at the ceremony and have the mental capacity to understand the nature of the ceremony. Register office staff can’t act as witnesses.
To search for an approved location to have your ceremony, visit our Locations page.
Religious ceremony (non-conformist)
If you want a religious ceremony, you need to speak to the person in charge of marriages in the building. The church or religious building must be in the district you have registered and resided in for 7 days. Civil partnerships can’t be registered on religious premises.
Religious ceremonies differ depending on the faith. Speak to the person in charge of marriages at the building you are having your ceremony in to find out what will happen.
Ministers and priests of all non-conformist religions can be authorised to register marriages and must have a certificate or licence to do so from the local Superintendent Registrar. For Jewish and Quaker marriages, the authorisation is automatic.
Church of England/Church in Wales
Normally, you will only be able to marry in a Church of England or Church in Wales if you are a member of the parish. You should speak to the minister in charge of marriages at the church you want to marry at- they make the decision whether or not to marry you. Civil partnerships cannot be registered on religious premises.
Instead of registering with the Superintendent Registrar before the ceremony, banns (a notice of the proposed marriage) can be read in the parish church of both of the partners on 3 Sundays before the ceremony.
Church of Ireland
If you or your partner is a member of the Church of Ireland (or any other Protestant Episcopal Church i.e. Anglican), you may give notice to a Church of Ireland licensing minister that you wish to be married in a Church of Ireland church. You or your partner must have been living in the district for 7 days before notice is given. The licenser will notify the clergy of the churches that you and your partner attend.
Seven days after the licenser is notified, an oath will be administered to either you or your partner as long as one of you has lived in the district of the church you want to marry in for the past 14 days, and grant the licence. Any Church of Ireland clergyman will be able to provide you with the address of a licensing minister.