Giving Notice of Marriage: Everything You Need to Know

‘Giving notice’ is a term some couples may have heard before they started planning their wedding – but how many of us actually know what’s involved?

Giving notice of marriage means to sign a legal statement at your local register office stating your intention to marry or enter into a civil partnership – think of it as registering your intention to marry.

There are time constraints on giving notice and you will need to come prepared with specific documents, so it’s useful to read up on what’s required ahead of time. That’s why we’ve covered your most frequently asked questions alongside everything you need to know about giving notice of marriage right here – plus a handy checklist of those documents you’ll need to provide.

How to Give Notice of Marriage: Everything You Need to Know  

Remember, you can’t legally marry without giving notice – this is your most important step before you say, ‘I do’!

• What is Giving Notice of Marriage?
• How Do I Give Notice of Marriage?
• How Long Does Notice of Marriage Last?
• Is the Giving Notice Process Different for LGBTQ+ Couples?
• Banns vs. Giving Notice

What is Giving Notice of Marriage?

Giving notice is a legal requirement in the marriage process where both parties essentially confirm their identity and that they are free to get married. Being 'free' to marry can mean proving you are old enough to marry, that you are legally divorced or widowed, that you and your partner are not related, or that you have the right visas to tie the knot if you are from outside of the UK.

Regardless of where you marry, you’ll both need to go to your local registry office with forms of ID, such as passports and driving licences, as well as the details of where you will marry and the fees.

What happens at the notice of marriage appointment?

To begin, you'll both go into a room with a registrar who will ask for some details about your wedding, such as where you intend to get married and when. You’ll need the address of the venue or registry office, so make sure you have that to hand.

After that, one of you will likely be asked to wait in the waiting area while the other stays. You’ll be asked questions about yourself, such as your date of birth and current address, whether or not there are any legal impediments to your marriage, the parent or guardian names you intend to have on the marriage certificate (if any), as well as the same questions about your partner.

You’ll then swap with your partner, and they will be asked the same things. At the end, both of you must declare the information as being correct.

The whole process will take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour if attending together.

"In short, the superintendent registrars must be happy that there are no legal impediments to the proposed union," adds Dawn Saunders, senior registration and ceremonies officer at Southwark Register Office. 

What happens when you give notice of marriage?

Notice of your marriage is displayed publicly at the register office for 28 days so that any objections can be raised, if there are any. Of course, that’s very unlikely – it comes from a history of making sure the marriage isn’t bigamous or illegal.

Remember, everyone who wants to have their wedding legally recognised needs to give notice of marriage. It’s a non-negotiable, we’re afraid!

How Do I Give Notice of Marriage?

You must give notice at least 29 days before your ceremony date. For example, if you give notice on 1 May, the earliest you can have your civil ceremony or partnership is 30 May, so don't leave it too late! 

"Depending on the couple's immigration status, there is a statutory waiting period of 28 or 70 days after giving notice and the wedding should not be booked under or within this time period," adds Dawn. "If you're unsure, it's always worth a call to your local register office just to clarify." 

Also be aware that you must hold your ceremony within 12 months of giving notice – the documents cease to be valid after a year.

In England and Wales, it’s also a legal requirement to have lived within your registration district for at least seven days before giving notice. Don't worry if you both live in different districts and/or are marrying in a different district, you just need to give notice at the registry office local to where you have lived for at least the past week.

Giving marriage notice does need to be done in person together, but you don't need to do it in the different districts on the same day. Phew!

How much does it cost to give notice of marriage?

There is a statutory fee for giving notice, which is £42 per person (or £57 if either of you are subject to immigration control). This can be paid on the day or in advance. There may be additional fees for processing things such as a foreign divorce, too.

"It's vital couples know the exact venue where their ceremony will take place because the notice is only relevant to the place in which they have stated," adds Dawn. “If you change your venue, you will need to give fresh notices with the new venue and pay the fees again.”

What documents do I need to give notice of marriage?

You'll both need to produce certain documents that prove who you are and your freedom to get wed, so make sure you have everything in order before you go!

These documents come under three sections: 1) evidence of name, date of birth and nationality; 2) evidence of ending of previous marriage or civil partnership (due to divorce or death); 3) evidence of place of residence.

You will need to provide original, hard copies of each – photocopies, screenshots or phone versions are not accepted. 

• Proof of your name, date of birth and nationality: a valid passport, travel documents or European ID card. You can also bring your birth certificate alongside photo ID, such as a driving licence. 
• Proof of home address: bank statement (no older than one month), utility bill (no older than three months), council tax (the most recent bill, no older than one year)
• Previous marriage documents (if applicable): final divorce documents and translation (if not in English) or death certificate and translation (if not in English)
• Change of name documents: e.g. deed poll, if applicable
• Full name and address of the venue where the legal marriage will be taking place and the registration district it falls under. Taking your booking form can be helpful.
• Note that if one of you is a foreign national, there are additional documents to bring.

Steps for giving notice of marriage

1. Make the appointment at your local register office. Remember, it doesn’t matter whether or not this is the district you intend to marry in, it just needs to be the one you live in. If you live in different districts, you and your partner will need to give notice at both local register offices – but you don’t need to do this on the same day. Call or email your local register office to make the appointment.

2. Gather together the documentation you need. This might take longer than you think if you’ve lost or misplaced certain original documents such as your birth certificate (we’ve all been there), if you married or divorced abroad and need to get translations made of documentation, or your passport is with the Home Office to obtain a visa, for example.

3. Attend your appointment with the superintendent registrar. They will go through all the documentation you have brought and check you are legally free to marry and that you understand what you are agreeing too.

The registrar then issues authority for the marriage and the notice is put on public display. A statutory waiting period of 28 full days after your notice has been issues is observed in England and Wales before you can finally – and legally – tie the knot!

When that’s all been confirmed, your registrar will advise whether or not you need to collect any paperwork. In most cases, this will be sent via email, so you won’t need to attend the register office in person again.

Can I give notice online?

Sadly, we’re not quite there yet! You can book an appointment with your registrar online at most register offices, but you must attend your appointment in person, bringing with you physical copies of the required documents.

It’s unknown whether this might change one day, but for the time being, you’ll need to plan ahead with giving notice in person.

How Long Does Notice of Marriage Last?

Your notice of marriage lasts for 12 months from the date notice has been given. If you and your partner are giving notice on separate days, the certificate of marriage cannot be issued until both of you have given notice, so the 12-month countdown will start on the day the second of you gives notice.

If your wedding does not take place within the year, you will need to give notice and pay the fees again.

Is the Giving Notice Process Different for LGBTQ+ Couples?

In the UK, same sex couples can marry in a civil ceremony and will give notice in exactly the same way as opposite sex couples. "Everyone is treated in the same way, regardless," says Dawn.

All couples are free to marry if they are both 18 years or over; are single, widowed or divorced; or if they were in a civil partnership that has been dissolved.

A transgender person who has been granted a full gender recognition certificate can get a new birth certificate that reflects their gender. In England and Wales, they will then be able to marry under their acquired gender and register the marriage under their acquired gender. However, if you don't have a gender recognition certificate, the person will be legally considered the gender on their original birth certificate and will marry under that gender. 

If one of you has been issued with a gender recognition certificate and was previously the civil partner of the person they wish to marry, you do not have to wait out the 28-day notice period to tie the knot. You can give notice of marriage and marry on the same day if you are turning a civil partnership into a marriage. 

There are a few things to note:

As it stands, same sex couples can only have a religious ceremony if the religious group has agreed to marry same sex couples. Sadly, at the moment, same sex couples cannot legally marry in the Church of England or the Church of Wales, though many will offer a blessing. You will need to have a civil ceremony instead and give notice through a register office.

If you're having a destination wedding, same sex couples that legally marry abroad under foreign laws will have their marriage recognised in England and Wales. However, if same sex marriage is not legally recognised in the country of your wedding, you will need to marry in a civil ceremony before or after your destination wedding to make it legal.

How Do You Give Notice For a Civil Partnership?

Giving notice for a civil partnership works similarly to giving notice of marriage (hello again, 28-day waiting period), but the nature of the union is of course different, so it’s important to clarify at your appointment whether you intend to enter into a marriage or a civil partnership, as the legal implications and requirements may vary.

Banns vs. Giving Notice

So, what are banns – and are they different to giving notice?

The Church of England and Church of Wales are allowed to register a marriage at the same time as performing the religious ceremony, so for this reason, you do not need to give notice of the marriage at a register office in these two churches unless you or your partner are a non-British or EU citizen – then you will need to give notice at the register office. 

Instead of giving notice, banns of marriage are read out in the Church of England and Church of Wales. Banns are an ancient legal tradition and today are considered an announcement in your parish church of your forthcoming marriage (and…ahem… a chance for anyone to put forward a reason why the marriage may not lawfully happen).

You must have your banns read out in church for three Sundays in the three months before the wedding. This is usually done over three consecutive Sundays but doesn’t have to be. Banns need to be read in the parish where each of you lives as well as the church you are marrying in, if that is somewhere else.

It's often a special occasion in church and usually the couple will want to attend to hear the banns and be prayed for by the congregation.

It’s worth noting that for other religious marriages, you will need to give notice at the register office. Ministers and priests of other religions can be authorised to register marriages if they have a licence to do so from the superintendent registrar.

For Jewish and Quaker marriages, the authorisation is automatic. For all other religions, if the officiant is not authorised, a registrar must attend the religious ceremony, or the partners will need to have a separate civil ceremony to the religious one.

Considering a church wedding? Here's everything you need to know!