Registering a Marriage

All marriages that take place in Cheshire must be registered with the Cheshire Registration Service.

If you plan to have a civil ceremony it is a legal requirement to give notice of marriage and, once given, your notices of marriage are displayed on the notice board at the register office for a period of fifteen days. Displayed are the names of the people to be married, age, marital status, address, occupation, nationality and the intended venue for the marriage.

After giving notice you must then wait a further sixteen days before the marriage can take place - for example, if notice is given on 1 July, the ceremony can take place on or after 17 July. Once given, your notice is valid for 12 months.

Registration officers have a statutory duty to report any marriage they suspect has been arranged for the sole purpose of evading statutory immigration controls.

Please note: the minimum legal age for getting married in England and Wales is 16 years of age but written consent may be required for anyone under 18.

You will need to show the superintendant registrar documentary evidence of your name, age and nationality ideally in the form of your passport.

If you have been married before, you will also need to produce documents that confirm that you are now free to marry. These could include either a divorce decree absolute bearing the court's original stamp or the death certificate of your former husband or wife.

Details of venues, other than churches, in which you can get married are available on the Cheshire County Council's Registration Service website (external link). Here you will also find information about the type of ceremonies available to you, as well as any other requirements.