After you have booked your ceremony, you are both legally required to give a Notice of Marriage or Civil Partnership, in person, at a Register Office.

This means making an in-person appointment to see a registrar to show them proof of your identity, address and that you are free to marry/form a civil partnership, and fill out some paperwork. This can be done up to a year in advance, but must be done at least one month before the ceremony.

The information will be placed on a noticeboard at the Register Office for 28 clear days for anyone to make any legal objections. If there are none, the legal paperwork will be issued to the Register Office who will be conducting your ceremony.

It is very important that you give the correct notice for the type of ceremony you are planning, as legally this cannot be changed at a later date. For example; if a couple gives notice for a marriage but then decides they would prefer a civil partnership, they would need to pay to give a new notice; provide their documents again, and wait another month.

If you are both British or Irish nationals, or have pre-settled or settled status, or a pending application for pre-settled or settled status made before 30 June 2021,  you will do this in the Register Office for the council area each of you live in, even if that is not the one you are having your ceremony in.

If either if you are not any of the above, you will do this together in the Register Office for the council area at least one of you lives in, even if that is not the one you are having your ceremony in.

Only residents of the London Borough of Islington on the City of London (the ‘square mile’) should come to Islington Register Office for their notice.

Please see our notice booking page for full details on giving notice, and book an appointment if you live in the London Borough of Islington on the City of London (the ‘square mile’).

Most people need to bring passports and recent proof of address like a bank statement or utility bill.

If you have been married or in a civil partnership before, you will need to show proof that that union has ended. This could be a death certificate, decree absolute or final dissolution of civil partnership document.

This is a brief outline, so please see our notice booking page for the full details.

Whatever nationality or immigration status you are, you both need to set up residency in, and give notice of marriage/civil partnership in England or Wales to have your ceremony in England or Wales.

Please visit this page for more information.

Marriage and civil partnership law requires an in-person, face-to-face interview with a registrar to give notice, and so notice cannot be given by proxy, in writing, by video call, online or by any other method.

Sadly, no. The notice of marriage or civil partnership is a statutory legal requirement by the General Register Office, which is out of the local authorities’ control. Notices last one year from the date of the appointment at the Register Office.

If your notice of marriage or civil partnership expires before your new date, a new notice will have to be given.

No, unfortunately, the notice that you have given is for your original location and it cannot legally be moved to another location.

A new notice will have to be given.

No, we will only contact you if there is a legal objection or another problem with your notice.