How do I plan a wedding in the UK?

Short answer

Start with the legal steps: give notice at your local register office at least 28 days before the ceremony, and choose a venue that is registered for marriages. Then book your venue and build your plan around that date.

The legal side comes first. In England and Wales, both of you must give notice in person at your local register office, usually where you have lived for at least seven days. You need to do this at least 28 full days before the ceremony, and the notice is valid for 12 months. In Scotland, you submit a marriage notice to the registrar for the district where the wedding will take place, at least 29 days before, though registrars advise 10 to 12 weeks. In Northern Ireland, you give notice to the registrar in the district of the wedding, at least 28 days before.

Then choose your venue. It must be a register office, an approved venue, or a religious building registered for marriages. Church of England and Church in Wales weddings usually need banns or a licence. Civil ceremonies cannot include religious content, but poems and non-religious readings are fine. Since 2022, approved venues can hold civil ceremonies outdoors within their grounds.

Once the venue is booked, sort your two witnesses, your outfits, catering, music and invitations. Remember that since 2021, marriages are recorded in a schedule or document signed on the day, not a register book. If you want a religious ceremony that is not legally binding on its own, like a nikah, you may need a separate civil ceremony. Check GOV.UK for the current rules.