LEGAL - RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES

Religious Ceremonies

You can get married in England and Wales as long as you have both lived in a registration district for at least seven days immediately before giving notice of marriage.  If you are wanting to have a religious ceremony in a Church of England you need to speak with the vicar of the church that you wish to marry in.  You can find out more detailed information at www.cofe.anglican.org  

If you are wanting to have a religious ceremony other than in the Church of England, that church or religious building in question must be in the registration district in which you or the other party live. You should first arrange to see the person in charge of marriages at the building. Both parties will be required to give formal notice of your marriage to the superintendent registrar of the district(s) where you live.

For religious marriage, other than in the Church of England, civil preliminaries must be completed.

Please check for fees with the vicar of the church in which you are planning to marry

The cost of a religious ceremony at a building other than the Church of England will be £47.00 for the registrar and there may also be further fees charged by the trustees of the building and the person who performs the ceremony.

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
The priest is an important part of this marriage and it is advisable to meet with him regularly.  You will need to approach the superintendent registrar to request the issue of a certificate.  If the bride and groom live in different districts then superintendents from both districts will need to be approached for a certificate.  You must live in the district that you wish to marry in for a minimum of seven days prior to the notice being given and no less than fifteen days before the ceremony.  The parish priest is the person who authorises the marriage and it is advised that you meet and discuss your wedding with him.  He can decline to marry you if he wishes

If one partner is not Catholic and you wish to marry within a Catholic church you will need to give as much notice as six months, so that counselling into the Catholic faith and an understanding of what is required by the Church can be given. Banns will be read before your wedding and if no objections are made then you are able to wed in that Church.

Click here for Wedding Laws in Scotland