Legal Weddings FAQs

We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions on legal and religious marriage and divorce. These are designed to help individuals understand the law and their rights, enabling them to make informed decisions
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12. What are the steps to getting a civil marriage?
  • Book a venue where the civil ceremony will take place
  • If the venue is not a Register Office, book a registrar by contacting the registry office closest to your venue
  • Both parties need to give notice at their own local registry office.
  • Decide which legal vows you want to use from the approved list of choices
  • Choose two witnesses
  • At the ceremony, both parties sign the marriage document or marriage schedule
  • Notify relevant agencies, such as HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) for tax purposes and certain benefits, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for your pension and if you are on any other benefits
  • Inform your home insurance provider if your spouse starts living with you. Inform your banks, DVLA, lenders, GP, landlord and any other relevant agencies if you change your name. You may need to apply for a new passport.
13. What happens on the day of the civil marriage ceremony?
The couple will be interviewed in a room separate to the other guests and witnesses to confirm that their details for the Marriage Schedule are correct. The Registrar will also check they are consenting and free to go ahead with the marriage ceremony.
14. What happens at a civil marriage ceremony?
A civil marriage ceremony takes around 15-20 minutes. The Superintendent Registrar will make a short statement about marriage. You can ask about the wording beforehand. You are allowed to add other vows and have readings or music, as long as none of them are religious. Material that contains a reference to a god may be allowed, as long as it is in an ‘essentially non-religious context’. Any material you want to include will need to be submitted for approval before the date of the ceremony. You must exchange legally approved vows, which include a declaration and contracting words. Your local register office can provide you with a list of choices. The bride, groom, witnesses and Registrar will sign the marriage schedule. It is illegal to take photos of the actual signing but the couple will be allowed to pose for photos with a blank schedule after the ceremony.
15. Who can be a witness to a civil marriage?
Anyone can be a witness to a civil marriage as long as they understand the language in which the ceremony is conducted, they have the mental capacity to understand what is happening and they are not Register Office staff. There is no minimum age limit, but you need to check with the registrar if they have restrictions on who they will accept as a witness.
16. What is a marriage schedule?
At a legally valid marriage ceremony, both the bride and groom sign a marriage schedule, which is an A4-sized official document that the registrar will use to enter information of the marriage onto the electronic register. You now have the option to include up to four parents in the schedule and therefore, on the marriage certificate e.g. mother, father, stepmother, stepfather. Previously, only the fathers of the bride and groom were included. If you are getting married in a place of worship registered for legal weddings, you may need to arrange to collect and return the schedule to the register office closest to your venue. A marriage certificate can be ordered and issued after the details have been entered on the electronic register and will be sent out by tracked mail.
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