What is the checklist for marriage?

Short answer

Give legal notice at your local register office, choose your venue or place of worship, arrange two witnesses, and plan the ceremony. Allow at least 28 days for notice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or 29 days in Scotland.

Start with the legal steps, because they set the timetable. In England and Wales, both of you give notice in person at the register office where you have lived for at least the last seven days. Do this at least 28 full days before the ceremony. In Scotland, submit a marriage notice to the registrar for the wedding district at least 29 days ahead, though registrars often advise 10 to 12 weeks. In Northern Ireland, give notice to the registrar for the wedding district at least 28 days before.

Next, choose where the ceremony will happen. In England and Wales, a legal ceremony must take place at 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 hymns, prayers or religious readings, but poems and non-religious readings are fine if the registrar agrees. Since 2022, approved venues can hold civil ceremonies outdoors within their grounds.

Arrange two witnesses for the day. In Scotland they must be aged 16 or over. The marriage is recorded in a schedule or document signed on the day. If you want a religious ceremony that is not legally binding on its own, such as a nikah in England and Wales, you may need a short civil ceremony too. Rules can vary, so check GOV.UK, your register office or your place of worship for the current position.