When planning your wedding, there are several legal options available, depending on your circumstances. Below is an overview of the processes involved, including the legal preliminaries required:
Marriage Legal Options
1. Marriage in Church by Banns and Marriage Document:
- You can marry in church by having your intention to marry announced during church services for three Sundays within three months before your wedding date. This is known as publishing the banns of marriage, a legal requirement for Church of England weddings in England and Wales.
- You must demonstrate a Qualifying Connection with the parish. If you do not meet the criteria, you can create one by attending your chosen church’s usual services at least once a month for six consecutive months. Service details are on the Calendar
- The banns must also be read in the parish where you currently live. Visit A Church Near You to get in touch with your local church. Then ask them to send your Certificate of Banns .
- Ensure you leave enough time for the banns to be read before your wedding, allowing about two additional months.
- At the wedding ceremony, you, your witnesses, and the vicar will sign a Marriage Document.
2. Marriage in Church by Residency and Marriage Schedule:
- Alternatively, you can marry in church by applying for a Residency and signing a Marriage Schedule prepared by the Registrar, avoiding the need to publish banns.
- To do this, you need to have lived in the area for 7 consecutive days.
- You must attend a Registration Office to give Notice of Marriage. In Somerset, there are 10 offices, with 3 full-time offices open from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm, and others part-time.
- Appointments must be pre-booked by calling the Registration Service’s central phone line at 01823 282251 or emailing SomersetRegistrations@somerset.gov.uk.
- At your 15-minute appointment, on the 1st day, you will be asked questions about your identity, nationality, place of residence, capacity to marry, and any changes to names. You will need to produce your documents.
- At your second appointment, on the 8th day, you will need to produce your Residency Letter (to evidence your remaining in the district for the entire period) then complete your Notice of Marriage. This second appointment may last from 45 minutes upwards, depending on your circumstances.
- The Residency Letter is an essential document to confirm that you have met the residency requirement. This letter should be issued by the person or business where you have stayed during this period. It must include:
- The name of the person or business providing the letter.
- If a business, the designation or title (e.g., Hotel owner/manager).
- Full contact details of the person/business, including address, phone number, and email address.
- Your full names.
- The exact dates of your stay, including the start and end dates.
- The signature of the person issuing the letter and the date it was signed.
- You will also be asked to sign a legal document during this appointment confirming that your residency period has been met.
- The Residency Letter is an essential document to confirm that you have met the residency requirement. This letter should be issued by the person or business where you have stayed during this period. It must include:
- After giving Notice, your details will be displayed within Somerset for 28 days, inviting any legal objections. If no objections are raised, a Marriage Schedule will be issued to the church for you, your witnesses, and the vicar to sign at your wedding ceremony. Your Notice of Marriage will be valid for up to 1 year after it has been given.
- It is important to check all details on the Marriage Schedule as it will be used to record your marriage and produce your marriage certificates. If any information needs correction after returning to the Registration Service, a fee of £99 will be charged.
- The statutory time between giving Notice of Marriage and being able to marry is 28 days. However, depending on your circumstances, different timings apply:
- British National / Foreign National with pre-settled or Settled Status not resident within the parish boundaries: You need to allow 8 days for your Residency period plus 28 days for the standard waiting period.
- Foreign National with no Pre-settled or Settled Status living within the parish boundary: You need to allow up to 70 days from giving Notice to your Marriage Ceremony, as you may be subject to the Home Office’s Immigration Referral Scheme.
- Foreign National with no Pre-settled or Settled Status or relevant visa not living within the parish boundary: You need to allow 8 days for your Residency period plus 70 days from giving Notice to your Marriage Ceremony, due to the Home Office’s Immigration Referral Scheme.
- For more details, visit the Somerset Wedding Service.
3. Civil Ceremony Followed by a Blessing:
- You can opt for a civil ceremony elsewhere, followed by a religious blessing in the church.
- What this service is
If you are already legally married, the Church offers a service in which:
Your marriage is recognised and celebrated.
You ask for God’s blessing on your life together.
Family and friends join you in prayer and thanksgiving.
This is not a second wedding. It is a blessing of a marriage that already exists.
Entering the church
Because you are already husband and wife:
You would normally enter the church together.
If a parent would like a special role:
A father or parent can escort one of you down the aisle to meet your spouse at the front, or
Families can be asked a question of support and blessing during the service.
Legal matters
There are a few important differences from a wedding:
No banns are called.
There is no legal marriage taking place in church.
The service begins by acknowledging that you are already married in law.
No marriage register is signed.
The service is simply recorded in the church’s register of services.
Promises and rings
Because your legal vows have already been made:
You make promises to continue loving and supporting one another, rather than marriage vows.
If you already wear rings, there is no exchange of rings.
Instead, the priest will bless the rings as symbols of your marriage.
The feel of the day
Although the wording is different from a wedding:
You may still have hymns, readings, music, flowers, and photographs.
A bride may wear a white dress if she wishes.
The day can feel every bit as joyful and special as a traditional wedding.
Many couples find this service a meaningful way to celebrate their marriage in church, surrounded by the people they love.
At its heart
This is a service of:
Thanksgiving for your marriage.
Prayer for your future together.
God’s blessing on your life as husband and wife.
4. Marriage Licence for Those Living Abroad:
- If you live abroad, you can apply to the Bath & Wells Diocese for a special licence. This licence allows you to marry in church without publishing banns or having a legal connection to the parish.
Marriage Certificate
After the ceremony, the church will return the completed Marriage Schedule or Marriage Document to the Registration Service. You can then request your marriage certificates by clicking on the link on their webpage here . Allow 10 days after your marriage.