As you start to plan your big day, the most important part should ideally be the actual ‘getting married’ part. The legal part of the day can seem confusing and overwhelming, but once you’ve decided what you want it is relatively straightforward.
Here is a breakdown of the different ceremonies available:
Church of England Ceremony
If you are religious, or have always dreamt of a church wedding, than this is your obvious choice. If you want to get married in a Church of England which is in your local parish this is pretty painless. As long as one of you is on the electoral roll, you will be able to marry in your local church. It is best to speak to the Vicar to discuss available dates and check everything over with them before anything is set in stone.
If however, you want a church outside your parish, you will need to apply for a special licence, and have good reasons as to why the Vicar should let you marry i.e. you grew up there. When this has been decided, they will read out the banns on three consecutive Sundays 3 months before the wedding takes place.
On the day, the Vicar will introduce you, you will repeat the vows and declarations, and they will bless you. At the end the bride and groom will sign the register to make the marriage legal, with the witnesses looking on.
Current costs for a Church of England wedding are £18 for the publication of the banns and £12 for a certificate of banns. The marriage service costs £218 and the marriage certificate is £7.
Civil Ceremony
For a civil ceremony you have a choice as to whether you want to get married in a registry office or a licenced building. There are an increasing amount of wedding venues and unique buildings which are gaining licenses; from a luxury wedding venue to garden greenhouses.
To arrange your civil ceremony you first need to speak to the superintendent registrar in the parish you want to get married in, and check they have the dates and times available that you are looking for. If you are living outside of the parish, you then need to speak to your local registrar as well because it is them who completes the ‘pre-wedding’ legal side. You each need your own certificate from them, which takes 15 days, and they will then display the notice of your marriage on a notice board in the registrar office. This must be completed between 12 and 1 months prior to the ceremony.
During the ceremony it will be the registrar who marries you, reading out the vows and declarations for the bride and groom to repeat back. Religious hymns or prayers are strictly not allowed, so people would normally choose their own readings or poems as an alternative. Then as with a religious ceremony, you sign the register at the end and voilà, you’re married! Confetti, photographs, off to the reception, food then dance!
Civil Partnership Ceremony
In the UK, same-sex couples can register their partnership during a civil partnership ceremony. This is conducted at a register office or licensed premises and is very similar to a civil wedding ceremony. The superintendent registrar arranges this type of ceremony at your local registry office, so follow the same steps as above to arrange.
