What is giving notice of marriage? What happens when you give notice of marriage? What are the notice of marriage questions? These are just some of the questions I’ve seen a lot whilst planning my own wedding so I figured I’d break it down and do a whole guide to giving notice of marriage because it’s actually super important and without it you can’t even get married.
The first thing I will say is I am obviously no expert, I’m just trying to provide you with a basic understanding of what notice of marriage is and why it’s so important. The first thing any couple should do when planning a wedding is research the legal aspect of their day because as fun as planning a wedding is there are some important steps to take as well.
What is giving notice of marriage?
Notice of marriage is a legal statement of your intention to marry. It states you and your partners names, ages, occupations, addresses, nationality and marital status. Put simply, without giving notice of marriage you cannot get married. Your notice of marriage is then displayed for the public to see and anyone can come forward if they know of any legal reason why you shouldn’t be getting married. You have to give notice at the registry office in the area you live in regardless of where your wedding venue is.
However if you’re getting married in a Church of England church then you have your banns read instead. For any other church denomination or wedding location you must go to the registry office in the town/city where you live and give notice there. If you and your partner live apart in different towns than you would each have to attend a notice of marriage in your own home towns.
Weddings abroad come with their own set of rules and for this post I won’t be going in that as each country is different. If you’re getting married abroad then head to the government website and follow the steps for finding the country you’re getting married in then it will tell you exactly what you need to do in terms of legalities.
When do you give notice of marriage?
Your notice of marriage is only valid for 12 months so you can’t give notice of marriage more than a year before your wedding date. Your notice has to be displayed for 29 day though so you must give notice no later than 29 days before your wedding date or your wedding can’t go ahead. Keep in mind some registry offices will be busier than others and you may have to wait for an appointment so it’s best to get booked in sooner rather than later.
We gave notice just over 5 months before the wedding and found it easy to get an appointment. However our registry office only offered appointments Monday-Friday so again it’s something else worth checking as I can’t take time off during the week (I work in a school) so I had to wait until I was next on a school holiday to attend the notice of marriage.
What happens when you give notice of marriage?
I’m not going to lie I was quite nervous the day before our appointment but I’m here to tell you there is absolutely nothing to worry about. I can’t give you an exact run down of what will happen at your appointment as each council is different but I can give you a very good idea of what to expect.
Our appointment was very simple but I have heard from other brides that they had more questions at their appointment. They also check over the details of your wedding day and check over the documents that you have to take with you (more on that in a bit). I will say this though whether your council is super simple like ours or whether they have a lot of questions, there’s absolutely nothing to panic about. The questions aren’t designed to trick you if you actually know each other. They’re designed to catch people out who may be being forced into marriage or marrying for illegal reasons.
There is honestly nothing to worry about it because the average couple will sail through the appointment. I will give you a rundown of our appointment but as I’ve said keep in mind every council is different.
Our notice of marriage
So here’s how our appointment went. We were both interviewed together to start with, we were asked to produce our paperwork to be looked over then we each had to confirm our name and state whether we’d ever changed our names or whether we’d been married before. We were asked where we were getting married, the date and the time. My fiancé was then asked what my date of birth was and I was asked what his was. I was then asked to leave while my fiancé was interviewed on his own then we swapped over.
In the individual interviews we were asked again to confirm our details, names, date of birth and address, we were also asked again if we’d ever changed our name or being married before. We were asked each others occupation and the occupation of our own dad. So I was asked what Josh did for a job and what my dad did and Josh was asked what I did and what his dad did. And that was it! We were in and out within 15 minutes, super quick and simple and nothing to worry about at all!
Notice of marriage questions
Now I can’t provide you with an exact list of the questions you’ll be asked when you give notice of marriage as every council is slightly different. As I’ve already said though, a lot of people get quite worried about the appointment and the giving notice of marriage questions. It’s totally understandable as it is an important appointment but the fear of the questions being there to catch you out and stop you from getting married is unnecessary. You absolutely will not be asked any questions you don’t know the answer to.
A notice of marriage is just to make sure you can legally get married, that you aren’t committing bigamy (marrying someone while already being married to someone else) and that you aren’t marrying for visa’s etc. In a nutshell two U.K. residents marrying for the first time or marrying after a divorce having nothing to worry about because they’re just going to ask super simple questions.
Dates of birth, time and date of the ceremony, occupations of parents, each others occupations and location of the ceremony are the only things you really need to have in mind for the notice of marriage questions.
What documents do you need to take?
Your council website should tell you exactly what you need to take to your appointment so do double check on there but as a general rule as long as you’re a British national then all you need is proof of nationality and proof of address. If you’ve changed your name, being married before or you’re not a British national then you will need extra documents.
For proof of nationality you’re asked to take a valid passport, however if you don’t have one or it’s not in date then you can take your birth certificate and your mother’s birth certificate. My passport is out of date so I had to take the two birth certificates and it wasn’t a problem at all. However the birth certificates have to the the full versions not the short ones. You can order copies of birth certificates if you don’t have them and they’re fairly inexpensive.
As for proof of address, it’s usually a utility bill, bank statement or council tax bill. There will be date restrictions though, for example at our council utility bills had to be dated from the past 3 months and bank statements had to be dated from the past month.
So I think that’s covered the basics of what happens when you give notice of marriage. I do urge you to check with your council though and please remember to sort of the important legal stuff before anything else. Wedding planning can be a lot of fun and I think a lot of people don’t realise there’s more to it then booking a venue and registrar. Please do your research and don’t get caught out and leave things too late because that’s when wedding planning stops being fun.
If you have any other questions about giving notice of marriage, please leave them in the comments and I will do my best to answer them.
If you’re a budget bride in a panic, why not join my Thrifty Bride Group on Facebook? I’m creating a community of budget brides who help and support each other so if you want a warm and welcoming place to be a part of, come and join us!
Pin this:
Saves for future reference, this is a great post and explains the process. I have often wondered how this works. Thank you!
A lot of people don’t even realise this is something you have to do!
Hi there
Me and my partner are getting married im a little confused at the moment and struggling to get back in touch by phone to register office as l work shifts and lines are always very busy .. we wish to get married at Solihull reg office so initially rang them to get the proverbial ball rolling they said we needed to ring Birmingham reg office to make an appointment to give notice first ,we have now been and given notice so I rang Solihull back to book a date and they said we should of done this first of which i was unaware , the lady said i needed to ring Birmingham again to check what suite was booked but when we gave notice at Birmingham reg office there was no mention of suite , do we now need to give notice again to choose suite
Kind regards Carl
Hi Carl! It sounds like there’s been some confusion on Solihull’s behalf. If I’m understanding correctly you’re getting married at Solihull registry office but gave notice in Birmingham, I’m assuming that’s because you live in Birmingham and not Solihull? If you’re just wanting to book your room for the ceremony you absolutely do not need to give notice again or even contact Birmingham. If possible I think your best option is to actually go to Solihull registry office and explain the situation in person. I hope it all gets sorted out!
Thank you so much for this post its been super helpful I give notice today and have been so nervous about it but after reading this I must say I do feel more relaxed about it 🙂 I know we’ve got nothing to be worried about but it still is!
I’m so glad this helped you out. At can be a little overwhelming not knowing what to expect.
Hi thanks for the information. Just wanted to ask when you give the time, date of venue when giving notice of marriage. If it gets approved could you change the date earlier or do you have to stick to the date you were given.
I’m not entirely sure on this one. Notice of marriage is valid for one year from the date you give it so within that one year time frame I think you’re allowed to change the date so long as you inform them. If it’s within that one year time frame you wouldn’t have to give notice again.
Hi after your notice of marriage interview and the 29 days has gone. Does the council send this to the venue so you’re able to marry or is this something you have to collect and give to the venue yourself? Thanks
I’m unsure on this as we’re getting married at the registry office, the same place we’ve given notice. I’ve never heard of there been a physical letter or certificate been produced though to supply to the venue.
Hello, me and my partner are at different boroughs in London but and we have given our notice in May. We are due to get married in august this year but we believe the venue hasn’t received our certificates ?
Is there a reason for this or is there something else we have to do in order to receive our certificates .
I’m not sure why your venue would need certificates. The notice of marriage is only the legal side and is down to you to organise, your venue shouldn’t need a certificate because you don’t actually get anything to say you’ve given notice of marriage.
Thanks for the information. After I give a notice do we get a letter from the registry office, or we just proceed for the wedding after 29 days?
It should just proceed as normal without a letter.
We gave our notice of marriage today and had to give our parents full names including middle names. It wasn’t until I went to my mums later that I realised I got my mums middle names the wrong way round! Do you know how important this is and if it will effect the day we get married?
As far as I am aware your mum and dads name now goes on your marriage certificate (it used to be just your dads) so you may want to contact them so the name is correct on your marriage certificate.
My fiancé is disabled with cp seeing this and telling him as put him at ease thank you so much
Oh thank you so much, you don’t know how happy it makes me to know I’ve helped you out!
Hi! Is it possible to ask to register my name on my marriage certificate as double barrel during giving notice of intention ?
The name on your marriage certificate will be your maiden name. If you choose to change your name whether this is taking your partners name or double barrelling it doesn’t have an impact on your certificate as this isn’t recorded.
My girlfriend is from the USA and can only be over here for 7 days so so not including the flight date and appointment date for notice it would mean she can only say she has been in my region for 5 days ,how can we give notice together if she can’t meet the parameters due to matters we cannot avoid
I’m unsure of the legalities when it comes to marriages between a U.K. resident and foreign nationals. I imagine if you’re marrying in the U.K. then your notice of marriage will be slightly different and she doesn’t have to be living here. You will have to give notice together though as notice of marriage is a legal requirement that checks that people aren’t committing acts of bigamy or marrying for unlawful reasons such as obtaining residence. It’s best to check what will be required in your circumstances at your local registry office but the fact your girlfriend doesn’t live in the U.K. won’t stop you from giving notice at all.
They are strict on the requirement and double check at the appointment regarding the 8 days residency
What happens if you don’t do this?
You can’t get married, it’s a legal requirement.
Hello, very new to all of this I must admit! My fianc̩ and I live together in west sussex so assume we give notice to our local west sussex registry office, however our wedding venue is in east Hampshire Рso do I need to approach the registry office local to the wedding venue for a registrar to conduct our wedding? Great post by the way!
Thank you. You need to give notice where you live, not where you’re getting married. So wherever you local registry office is then that is where you need to give notice. So yes, in your case it would be your local West Sussex office.
What happens when you’ve saved the date for the wedding but there are no appointments to give notice within the 12 month period?
Unfortunately this is something we’re seeing a lot of because of the huge amount of weddings that have been postponed or cancelled in the last 2 years. My advice would be to keep trying. Notices of marriage are only valid for 12 months from the date they’re given so keep checking for open appointments.
we are due to do the legal bit. I have just realize my passport has run out and there is no point in applying for an new one until we are married. However, My father has just passed away so all I have is his death cert and my mother has given me her birth cert and passport as she doesn’t have the full one. Will this be okay? Any help is needed!
You don’t need anything from your dad. If you don’t have an in date passport (which I didn’t either) all you need is your full birth certificate and your mums full birth certificate and that’s it!
I filled in a request form for an interview to give notice of marriage on the 7th of January. It’s now the 23rd and apart from a message confirming receipt of the request and a case number I have heard nothing further. My fiancé’s marriage visa expires on the 14th of March. So taking into account the 29 days for the posting of intention to marry is it possible to hurry the process along. Owing to Covid restrictions they cannot be telephoned or visited and they don’t appear to respond by Internet. On my application to an interview I did explain the time factor restrictions.
I would honestly try phoning. Covid restrictions shouldn’t be a factor in answering the phone. I hope you get it sorted out.
Hi , we are going tomorrow 8/2/2022 , my fiancé lives with me but has his own house where his daughter lives , all the bills for him , have his own houses address on, apart from his bank statement which has mine , but he hasn’t got a bank statement within the last month, should he take evidence of his own house , ie council. Tax bill
Hi, yes I would given that he pays council tax etc on a house that isn’t yours.
Hi my partner was divorced 15 years ago, does she still have to take proof of this to the interview , because we can’t find her decree absolute dose she have to have this , thanks.
Hi, yes as she’s been married before she’s need proof of the divorce so would need to take the decree absolute to the interview along with the other paper work required. If she can’t find it then a copy can be ordered for a fee but as far as I’m aware of she doesn’t have both the court name and the case number then they will only search back 10 years.
hi, I have a question for a friend when u give notice to marry can they search marriages on the computer ie my friend partner doesn’t know she got married a second time and wants to know if she takes her first marriage decree absolute in will the 2nd marriage come up? please no rants as she knows and understands the moral and legal side…. thanks in advance
If your friend does that then it is perjury and he or she could go to prison. They need the decree absolute for the 2nd marriage. Each party to the new marriage are seen separately during the notice appointment so the secret would be safe, but seriously it’s best to be honest..people are only human.
hi I’m asking for a friend she getting married for a 3rd time when she goes to give notice to marry do the go by the decree absolute she takes in or can they search for all marriages (technically she wants to keep the 2nd time secret) please advice only as she knows the moral/legal arguments….. thanks in advance
Me and my H2B are giving notice on 3rd May and getting married 18th June. We’re having to use birth certificates for each of us as ID as our passports have expired. And of course we are providing those of our mother’s also. Only thing is his mother has just noticed that my H2Bs birth cert shows his mothers place of birth as one Essex District, but her birthday cert shows a different essex district. Think my H2Bs father registered it wrong at his birth. Do you think this will cause an issue? I’m freaking out because there isn’t much time now before we give notice
It shouldn’t matter, the birth certificates are original documents so it’s been like that for the whole of your H2B’s life. As long as you’re providing the original and full certificates (not the short certificates) there shouldn’t be any issue.
Hello I run an online banking system such as
Revolut and monzo would these statements of account be accepted cox that’s the only account I have that has our house address on it
Would it be accepted?
Yes, it’s still a recognised bank account.
Hello
Will the local registry offices accept electronic bills for proof of address or do they need to be original letters? Thanks
They need to be original letters in most cases or if you’re paper free with online banking, a print out from your account.
My registrar did not advise me I had to do any of this, so now we are 2 weeks away from the wedding and they are offering me a commitment ceremony instead…. I have never been married before and didn’t even know this was a thing…. They did not advise us of anything like this…. I’m getting married in my home town as I moved away, but my new hometown has advised they can try waiver it so we can still do it legally as a full wedding! Surely the registrars should advise you about all this ! 😟
You would think when you booked a registrar that notice of marriage would be mentioned. However council websites usually do make the legal requirements clear and I always advise people to do the legal research first so you know what you should and shouldn’t be doing. I really hope you got it sorted out.
I just want to confirmed that My address is different and I live in different place I give address for opening bank account and other things of my brother and I live in flat that’s different flat Is it ok we are from same city coventry is it ok or I need to change my address?
This is something you need to check with your registry office as the address you gave your bank should be the address that you live at.
Is it mandatory that boy and girl need to book appointment separately or if one book and then both go on same date will be ok?
You both need to attend the appointment together.
Hi,
Me and my partner get married next year and are due to to give notice of marriage in November we have being together six years but we do live separately does he just need to take proof off his address or is this going to be a problem that we don’t live together before getting married. Obviously we are going to be moving in together either some point next year or once where married. If he does move in before will marry will this void notice of marriage? Also if we decide to wait after being married is this going to cause any problems?
Thank you
The fact that you live at different addresses doesn’t matter at all. But you do both need to take proof of where you live now. Also if you live in different areas then you’ll both need to attend notice of marriage appointments at your local registry offices.
Hello
Me and my partner are getting married next year 2023/24 he lives in London I live in Cambridgeshire and he probably won’t move in until we are actually married that’s just something we chose to do, when they ask for proof of address is that going to be a problem that we don’t live together? We plan on getting married in my home town in Cambridgeshire.
Not at all! As long as you both provide evidence of your own individual addresses as that’s where you’re currently living. However because you don’t live together and you both live in different areas you’ll both have to go to your own local registry office to give notice.
Hello,
Me and my partner are due to get married in 3 months and I have been trying to book our appointments with our local registry office (Hereford) to give notice… but to no avail.
It is extremely frustating when you want to be as organised as possible for the big day, and so so many other arrangements to make, we are not even able to make an appointment to give notice.
I keep getting told the same thing ‘someone will call you in a few weeks time’
Your advice is really helpful, thank you! I know that only my own registry office can sort this, however, I just wanted people to be aware… sometimes, no matter how organised you are and try to book in advance, sometimes it’s out of our control.
Hopefully, all will be well and eventually we can arrange our appointments 🙂
Notice of marriage last for 12 months from the point you give notice so I always advise people to do it as soon as they possibly can to cater for backlogs and other things. It’s really annoying that your local council are repeatedly promising phone calls though and not actually following through. I have everything crossed for you that you can get it sorted ASAP.
Hi Amelia,
I really feel for you and hope you have now managed to get married. The Hereford RO is a disgrace. We visited it this week (after getting no response by phone or email). The Registar told us no appointments are being offered until after Christmas so they would not be in touch until then!
It is now late September!
This is an amazing read!
Is giving notice just published on a notice board in the registry office or are they online? Only I might have to have a trip down to see it up there? It’s all so exciting.
Also do they check your answers there & then on some sort of system? I’m curious how they do it or if it’s traditionally old fashioned.
Most of the answers are based on the documents you provide at the appointment which is how they’re verified. I’m not sure how it works at every registry office but at ours notices of marriage were displayed on a screen inside the registration department.
If we choose and date and time for the wedding so we can get the notice of marriage. Does it matter if the wedding date and time changes after we get the notice as long as its within the 12 months? Also if we get the notice of marriage is it valid for 12 months even if we say the wedding is in 3 months?
You can move your wedding date but if it falls outside of 12 months after your notice of marriage appointment you will have to go and give notice again. The notice has to be displayed for 28 days before the ceremony can take place. All notices of marriage are valid for 12 months from the appointment date. Hope this helps!
When we met the Registrar to arrange notice of our wedding we were forced to choose the date and time of the wedding straight away. I need to change the date as soon as possible as family cannot attend and I thought the date could be changed to any time in following 12 months. Is this correct
Yes this is correct. Your notice of marriage is valid for 12 months from the appointment date so as long as your new wedding date is within those 12 months you should be able to change just fine with no fees!
Hi,
I am an Indian on MSc student visa and my Partner is Spanish and she is on Phd student visa. We are both are going to give the notice of marriage tomorrow and bit nervous about the interview thing because i think they will have concern because we are getting married early i am 23 she is 25. But our real reason to get married is as we both are far from our family and immigrants in this country and we want to legalise our relationship in this country and support each other in every possible way being with her. So we decided to getting married. But I don’t know this is the only reason we are doing for.
Please suggest me is there anything else i can say or something more reasonable i have to say i don’t know please help.
Don’t be nervous, the appointment isn’t designed to be an interrogation it’s just a formal process that needs to be done before you get married. At 23 and 25 they won’t be concerned about your ages at all. Just be honest and truthful with your answers.
Hi can you give notice if you are waiting for your decree absolute to come through
No I think you need to wait until you have the decree absolute as you have to provide evidence of divorce at your notice appointment and this is usually in the form of a court certified copy of a decree absolute.
Hi, thank you for the rundown. I was wondering, once a marriage intention is made(and accepted), is it viewable online publicly?
Thank you!
After your appointment the notice of marriage is displayed at the register office for 28 days. This period allows anyone to lodge a legal objection to the marriage if one exists. Once this time is up, it isn’t viewable.