Before you can marry, there
are certain formalities that are required by law.
You need to make an
appointment for both of you to attend the Register Office so that you can
inform them of your intention to marry.
This is called 'giving notice', and is
a legal procedure by which you declare your freedom to marry each other.
Giving
notice requires your signature and therefore cannot be done by a friend or
relative.
Notice of Marriage
Formal notice of marriage must be given to the
superintendent registrar in the registration district(s) where the parties to
the marriage live regardless of where the marriage is to take place.
What Documents will I Need?
You will need to produce independent
documentation with reference to your name and age.
Passports are preferred but
birth certificates and drivers' licences are acceptable if you do not have a
passport.
If either of you has been married before you will need to produce documents
showing how your marriage ended.
If it ended in divorce you must have the
Decree Absolute stamped by a court in England or Wales, or the original divorce
documents from another country with a translation into English if the document
is in a foreign language.
If widowed you will need proof of the death of your previous spouse and in the
case of a widow you may need your marriage certificate as well if you did not
register your husband's death.
You may give notice up to one year before your wedding day.
After giving notice you can now be married in any register office or approved
premises you choose.
Giving Notice Of Marriage
Both parties to the marriage must have
lived in a registration district in England or Wales for at least eight days
prior to the giving of the formal notice of marriage.
It does not matter if you move from these addresses once the notice(s) has been
given.
However once the notice(s) has been given you cannot change the venue of the
marriage without giving a new notice and paying another fee.
If the parties live in different districts notice must be given in both
districts.
If the marriage is to be in a district in which neither of the
parties live then the parties must first ascertain whether they will be able to
be married when they wish.
The notice(s) will be displayed on the noticeboard at the register office for a
period of fifteen days.
After this period, an authority for the marriage can be
issued.
If the marriage is to take place at a different district to where notice of
marriage was given, the certificate must be collected from the office where the
notice was given and delivered to the office where the marriage is to take
place.
If both parties live within the district where the marriage is to take place
and notice has been given there, no authority has to be collected.
It is essential that the Registrar has possession of the authority or
authorities before the marriage, otherwise the marriage may well be delayed or
even postponed.
A fee is payable for giving the notice of marriage.
Marrying in a Church
If you are planning a church wedding, you must
see the minister of the church in the registration district where you live.
Unless your marriage is to be according to the rites and ceremonies of the
Church of England or Wales, where banns are usually read, you will be required
to give notice to the Superintendent Registrar in whose district you reside.
Usually you must live in the district where you plan to marry unless your place
of worship is outside the district and you wish to marry there.
You may also
marry outside the district if there is no building of your religion in your
district.
In some cases a local registrar may need to attend the service.
It is
advisable that you check this and confirm the availability before you set a
date.
The County Council does not hold comprehensive information on local churches
and places of worship, but we do hold some information in our
Community
Information Database
- just select the area and faith you are interested
in from the A-Z listing.
Marrying in Approved Premises
There are now venues in England and
Wales other than a register office or religious building where your marriage
ceremony can take place, for example civic buildings, hotels etc.
A full list
of these venues can be obtained from the Office of National Statistics on 0151
471 4516 on payment of the required fee.
A list of venues in County Durham can
be obtained free of charge by contacting County Hall, Durham on 0191 3834760,
or see them on our
T
Approved Premises for Marriages in County Durham
page.
Marrying in a Register Office
Every register office is different and
usually has its own character.
In County Durham, marriage facilities are
located in the register offices at
T
Stanley
,
T
Durham
City
,
T
Peterlee
,
T
Bis
hop Auckland
and
T
Barn
ard Castle
.
The Superintendent Registrar in each location will be only too
pleased to show you the marriage room before making your choice of location.
Further details of civil marriage arrangements and wedding facilities within
County Durham can be obtained from the Superintendent Registrars at the
T
locations detailed
previously
.