The process of giving notice in the UK can be a bit confusing for couples in the run up to their wedding. Here’s a quick guide to this essential step in your wedding journey from our wedding planner, Becca.
Drone footage courtesy of Kyle Forte.
Giving Notice of Marriage (a quick guide)
Giving notice is the legal bit you have to do at least 29 days before your wedding ceremony can take place; you book an appointment at your local council (register) office for you both to attend in person with ID documents.
Giving notice is a legal declaration that you intend to marry. It’s a private meeting with a registration officer in advance of your wedding before permission is granted for you to marry.
You must give notice at least 29 days before your wedding. You can give notice up to a year in advance, and the marriage authority is valid for a full year for the venue you have chosen, so we recommend doing it 3-6 months ahead.
You give notice of marriage to the council in the area that you live, even if your ceremony venue is in a different area. In Somerset, you can book your appointment online for any of the register offices in the area.
You’ll need to provide the date and location of your ceremony, so you must have booked both your venue and your registrars before you can give notice.
You must both attend your notice appointment in person.
You both need to provide original documents confirming your name, age, nationality and marital status. Typically, this means you will both need to take:
- A valid passport
- Driving license or current year council tax bill or utility bill dated within 3 months or bank statement dated within 1 month
- If you are divorced: Decree Absolute. If you’re not previously married, no documents are needed