Official guides to getting married in the UK
Government, church and charity pages on the legal side of getting married. The rules differ between the four nations, so check you are reading the right one.
Listed alphabetically. Nothing here is ranked and nobody paid to be included.
Church of England: Church weddings
The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England
- What it does
- The Church of England's guide to marrying in one of its churches, including banns and who can marry where.
- Good for
- Couples with a link to a parish church in England.
- Limits
- You need a connection to the church, and the guide says same-sex couples cannot legally marry in the Church of England.
- Cost
- Free to read
- Account
- No account
- Note
- England.
- Checked
Citizens Advice: Getting married
Citizens Advice (charity)
- What it does
- Plain advice on the legal side of getting married, from engagements to pre-nuptial agreements.
- Good for
- Couples who want the legal background in one readable page.
- Limits
- This version covers England only; Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own pages.
- Cost
- Free to read
- Account
- No account
- Note
- England.
- Checked
GOV.UK: Change your name by deed poll
UK government
- What it does
- Explains deed polls, and confirms that taking a spouse's surname needs only the marriage certificate.
- Good for
- Anyone changing their name after the wedding.
- Limits
- Different rules apply if you were born in Scotland, and permanent residents overseas cannot use a deed poll.
- Cost
- Free to read
- Account
- No account
- Note
- An enrolled deed poll costs £53.05.
- Checked
GOV.UK: Getting married abroad
UK government
- What it does
- What UK couples need to check before marrying or registering a civil partnership in another country.
- Good for
- Couples planning a wedding overseas.
- Limits
- Whether you can marry depends on the other country's law, and you cannot convert an opposite-sex civil partnership into a marriage abroad.
- Cost
- Free to read
- Account
- No account
- Checked
GOV.UK: Give notice
UK government
- What it does
- The official rules for giving notice of a marriage or civil partnership at a register office.
- Good for
- Every couple marrying in a civil ceremony in England or Wales.
- Limits
- It covers England and Wales only, and says the process may be different for Anglican weddings.
- Cost
- Free to read
- Account
- No account
- Note
- England and Wales.
- Checked
GOV.UK: Marriages and civil partnerships
UK government
- What it does
- The government's guide to getting married or forming a civil partnership in England and Wales, from eligibility to the ceremony.
- Good for
- Checking the legal basics: who can marry, witnesses, and what a civil ceremony can include.
- Limits
- It covers England and Wales; Scotland, Northern Ireland and weddings abroad have different rules.
- Cost
- Free to read
- Account
- No account
- Note
- England and Wales.
- Checked
Humanist Society Scotland: Weddings
Humanist Society Scotland (charity SC026570)
- What it does
- Arranges humanist weddings in Scotland, where they are legal, through the Society's own celebrants.
- Good for
- Couples in Scotland who want a non-religious ceremony that is also the legal marriage.
- Limits
- The ceremony costs around £520, which includes two years' membership, and the Society will not choose a celebrant for you for remote and island weddings.
- Cost
- Ceremony around £520
- Account
- No account
- Note
- Scotland.
- Checked
Humanists UK: Non-religious weddings
Humanists UK (charity 285987)
- What it does
- The charity's guide to humanist weddings and how to find a celebrant.
- Good for
- Couples in England and Wales who want a ceremony written around them.
- Limits
- Humanist weddings in England and Wales do not currently have legal status, so many couples also marry at a register office; celebrant fees are generally £450 to £1,500.
- Cost
- Free to read
- Account
- No account
- Checked
mygov.scot: Marriage and civil partnership in Scotland
mygov.scot (Scottish Government)
- What it does
- An overview of who can marry in Scotland and the kinds of ceremony available.
- Good for
- Couples marrying in Scotland, as a first stop before the detail.
- Limits
- It covers Scotland only, and the detail on giving notice sits on the National Records of Scotland site.
- Cost
- Free to read
- Account
- No account
- Note
- Scotland.
- Checked
nidirect: How and when to give notice for marriage
nidirect (Northern Ireland government)
- What it does
- The rules for giving notice of marriage in Northern Ireland, including the deadlines and the fee.
- Good for
- Couples marrying in Northern Ireland.
- Limits
- It covers Northern Ireland only, and notice goes to the registrar for the district where the wedding takes place.
- Cost
- Free to read
- Account
- No account
- Note
- Northern Ireland. The notice fee is £22 per form.
- Checked
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