A civil marriage or civil partnership can be conducted in
either a Register Office or an approved premise licensed by the
local authority.
For more information on civil partnerships please use the
link on the right.
You can marry anywhere in England and Wales. Notice of Marriage is
given in the district where you live.
You must live in England or Wales for a period of seven days to
qualify, and you are required to give the Notice of Marriage to the
Superintendent Registrar who is responsible for the district where
you have been living for the past seven days.
(For the
contact details for the register offices of neighbouring districts
click here).
Marriage at the Register Office:
Arrange your date and time of your marriage with the Superintendent
Registrar of your chosen Register Office and then arrange to give
the Notice of Marriage.
Telford & Wrekin Register Office has a ceremonies room that
is downstairs providing easy access for the very young, the
elderly, disabled or infirm. This room has seats for 45 guests.
There is no charge for the use of this room. You are welcome to
inspect the room at any time, subject to it not being in use.
How much will it cost? -
click here for information relating to
fees
Contact the Superintendent Registrar for the area you wish to marry
in, they will be able to supply you with a list of premises that
are licensed for the conducting of civil marriages in that area, or
you can download a list of venues licensed for civil marriages in
the borough clicking on the link a little further down the
page.
Once you have decided which venue to marry at contact the
Superintendent Registrar for that district to book your wedding,
they will advise you where you give your Notice and Marriage and
when to do so.
Current list of Telford & Wrekin Registration
District Approved Premises for Marriage Ceremonies
Religious marriage ceremony
For marriages at a Parish Church (Church of England/Church in
Wales) the vicar of the local parish church will help and advise
you, the church publishes the Banns. The vicar will attend to all
preliminaries to the marriage.
For marriages in non-conformist churches or chapels (non
conformist refers to all religions other than the Church of
England), arrangements must be made with the local minister/priest
and then attend the office of the Superintendent Registrar to give
the notice of marriage.
The law is not as flexible with religious marriages. One of the
parties to marriage will have to have a residency in the area you
choose to marry, or make a legal declaration that this religious
building is your usual place of worship. There are other sections
of the legal acts, which say you can marry out of your residential
area, it would be advisable to speak to your Superintendent
Registrar to see if you qualify.
The Notice of Marriage
This is the legal preliminary to your marriage. Each party to the
marriage will need to attend at the register office in person and
give notice of their intention to marry. This will be the case even
when you live in the same registration district.
You will not have to attend together but will be encouraged to
do so. The notice has to be displayed in accordance with the law,
on the public notice board at the register office for fifteen clear
days.
The Superintendent Registrar can then issue the authority for
your marriage to go ahead but only when you have both given your
notice of marriage.
A notice of marriage is valid for twelve months, and the
marriage can take place fifteen clears days after the second person
has given their Notice.
What documents do you have to bring?
In order to give your notice of marriage you will be asked to
produce documents as evidence of name and age and nationality. For
example:
- a birth certificate and either
- a current passport, or
- medical card showing your current address, or
- full driving licence showing your current address.
This list is not exhaustive and other documents may also be
acceptable.
In addition to the above:
- a recent bank statement or utility bill that shows your current
address.
If you have been previously married:
- either a Decree Absolute (issued after divorce),or
- death certificate of your former spouse.
If you have changed your name by deed poll or statutory
declaration you will be required to produce that document.
Each party to the marriage will be required to declare their
nationality; this will enable the Superintendent Registrar to
advise you whether any further administrative procedure or legal
requirements are needed to ensure the recognition of your marriage
in the country of which you are a National.
Quick checklist of points to remember:
- Decide if your marriage ceremony is to be a religious or civil
ceremony.
- Decide when your marriage is to take place.
- Book the venue and/or Registrar.
- Attend to the legal preliminaries, i.e. Notice of Marriage or
in the case of the Church of England, Banns
- Both of you must give a Notice of Marriage otherwise your
marriage will not go ahead.
- If you don't understand any part of the process just
ask.
(Please note that we do not issue licenses
electronically.)
Registering a building as an approved
premises |