New marriage legislation means that the way a marriage is registered in England and Wales will change from 4th May 2021.What will these changes mean to you?
You will no longer sign a marriage register or be given a Marriage Certificate during the ceremony, instead you will sign a Marriage Schedule. This is a one-page document which contains the details of both people getting married which are needed to register a marriage
The Marriage Schedule will be provided by the Superintendent Registrar in the registration district of your marriage and will contain all the details required to complete a marriage registration.
From this date, in addition to father details, other parent details will be able to be recorded i.e. mother, step-parent.
Each person will still be required to give notice of marriage and the marriage ceremony will remain the same, it is only the way in which a marriage is registered that will change.
How will you get the Marriage Schedule?
The Marriage Schedule will be provided by the Superintendent Registrar in the registration district of your marriage.
- If you are marrying in a civil or religious ceremony, as now, you will still be required to give a notice of marriage, at the register office in the district where you have spent the preceding 7 days.
- The schedule will be issued by the Superintendent Registrar following the 28 day waiting period.
- If you are not marrying in a religious building the Superintendent Registrar will retain your Schedule until the ceremony.
- If you are marrying in a religious ceremony, you must arrange for the Marriage Schedule to be collected and taken to the person who will perform the marriage at the religious building before your ceremony. The Superintendent Registrar will explain in more detail how this process will work.
- If you are marrying in the Church of England / Church in Wales you will need to contact the Church in the parish where you intend to marry.
Information included on the Marriage Schedule
A Marriage Schedule will include the details of each person getting married:
- a central electronic registration system will become the legal register. The change in the law means that the details of your marriage will be recorded on a Marriage Schedule. It is from this document that your marriage registration will be created.
When will you be able to obtain a Marriage Certificate?
A marriage certificate will only be issued after the details have been entered on to the electronic marriage register. This means that you will not be able to obtain a marriage certificate on the day of your marriage. This applies whether you marry in a civil ceremony or a religious ceremony.
Your marriage details will be entered onto the electronic registration register within 7 days of your signed Marriage Schedule being received at the register office, in the area where you got married.
How to obtain a marriage certificate
Marriage certificates will be available from the register office in the area where your marriage took place.
What to do if you lose your Marriage Schedule
If you lose your Marriage Schedule before your ceremony, you should contact the Superintendent Registrar at the register office where the Marriage Schedule was issued.
Further questions
If you have any questions you should check the details on www.gov.uk website
If you cannot find the answer to your question you should contact the register office in the area of your marriage or contact the General Register Office on tel: 0300 123 1837 or email: GROcasework@gro.gov.uk
Marriage certificates are also available from the General Register Office at www.gov.uk
https://www.gov.uk/order-copy-birth-death-marriage-certificate