What is the quickest way to get legally married?

Short answer

The quickest legal route is a civil ceremony at a register office or approved venue, after giving notice. In England and Wales, you must wait at least 28 full days from giving notice. In Scotland, it is 29 days, and in Northern Ireland, 28 days.

A civil ceremony is usually the quickest way to get legally married in the UK. In England and Wales, you give notice at your local register office, then wait at least 28 full days before the ceremony. In Scotland, the notice period is 29 days, and in Northern Ireland, 28 days. If either partner is subject to immigration control, the wait can be longer.

You can hold a civil ceremony at a register office or an approved venue. Since 2022, approved venues in England and Wales can hold civil ceremonies outdoors within their grounds. Civil ceremonies cannot include religious content such as hymns, prayers or religious readings, but poems, songs and non-religious readings are fine if the registrar agrees.

If you want a religious ceremony, the timing depends on the rules of your place of worship. Church of England and Church in Wales weddings usually need banns read, which adds time. A religious ceremony on its own is only legally binding if it takes place in a building registered for marriages with an authorised person present. Some couples have a short civil ceremony first to make sure the marriage is legal, then a religious or belief ceremony later. Check with your register office or place of worship for exact timings, as rules can change.