Births, deaths, and marriages

Choosing a venue

Depending on the ceremony type you wish to have, your next choice will be to choose a venue.

If you are looking for a ceremony where you can invite a number of guests as well as enhance and personalise the ceremony so it's unique to you, then you can choose a standard ceremony at one of our Town Hall venues or at one of our approved venues.

If you decide to have a bespoke ceremony, then you can hold your celebratory ceremony at a venue of your choice, subject to satisfactory assessments being carried out, with the legal ceremony being conducted at the Register office.

Outdoor ceremonies

If your chosen venue has an approved outdoor structure or outdoor linked area and you would like your wedding to take place there, then you should arrange that with the venue and add this to your ceremony guide. You will need to agree to the terms and conditions associated with outdoor weddings, contained in the ceremony guide.

Please note that you should make additional plans with the venue to hold your ceremony in one of their approved ceremony rooms in case the weather is inclement on the day. The indoor ceremony room must be able to accommodate all of your invited guests.

Getting married abroad

It is important that you consult with the local authorities in the country where you are planning to be married to find out what you need to do.

Some countries may require you to give notice of marriage to the Superintendent Registrar of the District, in which you live, in order to obtain a certificate of no impediment to prove you're legally allowed to marry. Please use our online form to contact the ceremonies team about a marriage or civil partnership query for further information.

You can find more information about individual countries requirements on getting married abroad.

Your marriage in a religious building

If you are planning to be married in the Church of England you will need to speak to the person in charge at the church.

If you are planning to marry in any other church or religious building you will need to:

  • Make arrangements with the Minister or person in charge at the building
  • Live in the registration district where the church or religious building is situated, unless it is your usual place of worship (this applies to one or both of you)
  • Give notice of marriage to the Superintendent Registrar of the District in which you live
  • Some churches (not the Church of England) need the attendance of a registrar at the marriage, whilst some have their own registrar (an authorised person). Please speak to the Minister or person in charge to establish whether you will require a registrar to attend.

If you do need a registrar to attend your marriage ceremony at a religious building, you can contact the ceremonies team about a marriage or civil partnership query to check our availability as far in advance as possible.