Giving Notice at the Register Office

If you're marrying in a civil ceremony in England or Wales - or in most religious ceremonies outside the Church of England/Church in Wales' own banns process - you and your partner both need to "give notice" at a register office before you can legally marry. This is separate from booking your venue, and people book the venue first far more often than they should.

Notice is given in person, at the register office covering the area where you live (not necessarily where you're getting married), and both of you need to do it - even if you live in different districts, you each give notice locally. You'll need proof of identity, proof of address, and if either of you has been married or in a civil partnership before, proof that it's legally ended.

The minimum notice period is a matter of weeks, not days, and it can be extended if the registrar has any reason to flag the marriage for further checks - I'm deliberately not quoting an exact figure here because it's exactly the kind of thing that gets revised, so check the current minimum on gov.uk before you plan around it. Once given, notice is valid for a set period, so don't give it too early either.

What I'd actually do:

1. Confirm your venue and rough date first, but don't finalise printed invitations until notice is given - I've seen people have to reprint after a registrar flagged an issue.
2. Book your register office appointment as early as you're allowed to, not the week you hit the minimum. Slots fill up, especially in wedding season.
3. Bring more ID than you think you need. Registrars are consistent but not lenient about accepted documents.
4. If either of you has an ID or immigration situation that isn't completely straightforward, ask the register office directly and early - this is not a place to guess.

This process is different again in Scotland (see the article on Scotland's marriage law), and Northern Ireland's process, while broadly similar in shape to England and Wales, has its own registration authority and forms - don't assume the English process transfers directly.