Information about
arranging a civil marriage in Suffolk
Where can I get married?
You can marry in a civil ceremony at any Register Office in
England or Wales. Or you can marry at any licensed Approved
Premises in England or Wales. An Approved Premise will be a public
building such as a hotel or stately home or any other building the
local authority feels is an appropriate place in which to be
married.
For civil marriages you do not have to marry in the area in
which you live.
A complete listing of all
Approved Premises in Suffolk
A complete listing of all
Suffolk Register Offices
A complete listing of all
Approved venues in England and Wales
It is also possible to marry outside of England and Wales but
different rules apply.
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Can I get married outdoors?
No, this is not possible. The law does not allow for a civil
marriage to take place in a private house, in open air, a tent or
marquee, or in any other movable structure, such as a boat or hot
air balloon. Neither can a civil marriage take place in any
building which has a past or current connection with any
religion.
Recent publicity has highlighted that there will be a more
flexible approach to marriage locations and times in the future.
This is no longer part of the current government plans and so for
the forseeable future the above restrictions apply.
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How soon can I book my wedding date?
Marriages can be booked at the earliest 12 months in advance or
at the latest 17 days in advance. Some offices may allow you to
make provisional bookings more than 12 months in advance.
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How do I make the arrangements?
First decide on a venue and a date. It is always a good idea to
have an alternative in case your first choice is already booked.
Contact the
Suffolk Register Office where you wish to be married or the
Register Office that is responsible for the Approved Venue you have
selected. They will take provisional details from you and ask you
to arrange for the legal preliminaries to be prepared.
Important: Bookings are all treated as
provisional until you have arranged the legal preliminaries.
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What are the legal preliminaries?
The legal preliminaries are called the Notice of Marriage. This
is a legal document which has to be prepared by the Superintendent
Registrar at the Register Office in the district in which you live.
It is valid for one year. This may well be a different office
to the one you have chosen to marry in.
Both the bride and groom need to attend in person to give a
Notice of Marriage. The cost of each notice is £30 per person. All
Suffolk Register Offices operate an appointment system for Notices
of Marriage. Each Notice takes about 30 minutes to prepare. If you
do not speak or understand English well you will need to take an
interpreter with you.
To be legally eligible to marry and prepare a Notice of Marriage
you must:-
- Be aged 18 or over or have written consent from your parents or
guardians if you are aged 16 or 17;
- You must have been a resident in the district for
a qualfying period of 7 full consecutive days. This
period must immediately precede the day your Notice of marriage is
prepared;
- You must be lawfully free to marry -in other words not married
to anyone else!;
- One of you must have been born female, the other born male (or
completed a legal gender reassignment) and you must not be closely
related to each other.
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Documents required for Notice of Marriage
When you contact your local
Suffolk Register Office the receptionist will discuss with you
what documents you will need to bring. These may include some or
all of the following depending on your circumstances:
Please note that all documents must be current (this is an
important consideration if you have recently moved house).
Photocopies of any document are not acceptable.
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How much will the ceremony cost me?
| Ceremony |
Cost |
| Register Office ceremony |
£40 |
|
| |
|
| Approved venue (Monday-Thursday) from 1st April 2008 - 31st
March 2009 |
£240 |
| Approved venue (Friday & Saturday) from 1st April 2008 -
31st March 2009 |
£300 |
| Approved venue (Sunday and Bank Holiday) from 1st April 2008-
31st March 2009 |
£380 |
| |
|
| Approved venue (Monday-Thursday) from 1st April 2009 - 31st
March 2010 |
£250 |
| Approved venue (Friday & Saturday) from 1st April 2009 -
31st March 2010 |
£320 |
| Approved venue (Sunday and Bank Holiday) from 1st April 2009-
31st March 2010 |
£400 |
|
|
|
A £50 non-refundable deposit is required to
secure a time slot for Approved Venue bookings. Any changes will
incur a further £20 administration charge. |
|
|
| Registrars' Attendance at a Non- Conformist Church |
£47 |
| |
|
| Each Copy of the marriage certificate |
£3.50 |
Please note these fees are in addition to the cost of the
'Notice of Marriage fee' of £30 each.
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Is there any way of getting married immediately?
There are some circumstances where it may be possible to reduce
the standard waiting period of 17 days.
These are usually exceptional and could include situations such
as:
The serious illness of either the Bride or Groom from which they
are not expected to recover.
The posting to a war zone of either the Bride or Groom as part of
their duties of being a serving member of the armed forces.
If you think that your circumstances could warrant a waiver of the
standard waiting period please contact your local register office
without delay or email
enquiries@registrars.suffolkcc.gov.uk
In some cases an additional and non- refundable fee may be
payable.
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Who do we need to tell that we have got married?
A list of organisations you may need to tell about your
marriage .
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After we have married, do I have to use my new husband's
surname?
Although this still tends to be traditional, it is certainly not
compulsory. In this country both men and women are entitled to
choose whether or not they want to take their spouse's surname,
keep their own name or double-barrel them both.
A newly married man may decide to take his wife's surname.
Different rules may apply abroad, so if either one or both of you
are a foreign national you may wish to take advice from the
relevant embassy here.
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I don't live in England and Wales - can I marry here?
Possibly, but in order to be eligible you will need to complete
a residency period of at least 7 full days (you may need to provide
proof of this - such as a hotel invoice). After this qualifying
period you will need to give a 'Notice of Marriage' to the local
Superintendent Registrar. Please see the section above entitled
'What are the Legal Preliminaries?'.
If you do not hold an EEA Passport you may be subject to additional
requirements -
Marriage Information for Non- EEA Nationals.
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Did you know that a
naming
ceremony could immediately follow your marriage ceremony?
There is an alternative to marriage! A
commitment ceremony - a ceremonial alternative for those not
willing or unable to be married.
If you need more information about getting married contact your
local
Suffolk Register Office or email:
enquiries@registrars.suffolkcc.gov.uk
.
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