Marriage - Arrangement and Ceremony
So, you’ve chosen the right person! Good, that’s the difficult
part. Now sit back, while we guide you through the legal
formalities and the many choices available to make your wedding
special.
You may wish to have a discreet ceremony carried out as
quickly as possible, or perhaps you are planning ahead. Whatever
your arrangements, whatever your choice, we are here to ensure that
your wedding is carried out both in accordance with the law and,
just as importantly, your wishes, to the high standards of which we
are justifiably proud.
The information included on these pages is for general guidance
purposes only and is not a complete or exhaustive explanation of
the Marriage Laws of England and Wales.
Deciding where to get married
There are a number of venues available to couples wishing to
marry in the Vale of Glamorgan. These venues are detailed
below:-
The Register
Office
The main ceremony room in the Vale of Glamorgan Register Office is the
Council Chamber which can seat approximately 100 persons. An
elegant setting for marriages, the Chamber is tiered and everyone
present can see and hear the whole marriage ceremony. There are
also two other pleasant rooms available for marriages.
Not all ceremony rooms have full access for disabled visitors.
Please check that it is suitable for yourselves or your guests.
Approved Premises
We have some splendid and varied “Approved Premises” in the Vale
of Glamorgan that are licensed for marriages. These include three
castles, several listed buildings, golf and sports clubs, modern
hotels, a theatre and a Grecian temple/garden room in the wonderful
setting of Duffryn Gardens.
List of
Approved Premises
Marriages contracted in Approved Premises are only lawful if the
building has been granted a licence by the local authority.
Licences are only valid for three years. You must ensure,
therefore, that the Approved Premise has a licence that is still
valid on the day of your marriage.
Church of England or Church in Wales
If you wish to be married in a Church of England or Church in
Wales, please speak to the Vicar. If he/she agrees to marry you,
he/she will arrange for the Banns to be called, three Sundays
before the day of your ceremony or for a common licence to be
used.
The marriage will be registered by the Vicar and there is
usually no need to involve your local Superintendent Registrar.
Other Places of Worship (Registered Buildings)
If you are marrying in any religious building (registered
building), other than the Church of England or Church in Wales, you
should arrange to see the Minister or Other Person in charge of
marriages at the building. The Church or religious building must
normally be situated in the registration district where you or your
partner live. You can only marry in a church in a different
district from where you live, if either of you usually go to
worship in that building. You may also get married in another
district if there is no building of your religion in the district
where you or the person you are marrying live. We will be happy to
give you help and advice.
Formal notice of marriage needs to be given, in person at the
Register Office for the district where you live. A registrar from
the Register Office in which the building is situated must be
present, or an approved person of the religious building who is
authorised to register the marriage instead of a registrar.
To check availability and secure a booking for your wedding at
either the Register Office, or at one of our Approved Premises, or
to arrange for a registrar to attend a marriage ceremony at a
Church or other religious building, please contact the
Superintendent Registrar at the Vale of Glamorgan Register Office.
Marrying Abroad
If you have any general enquiries about marrying abroad, you
should contact the Consul of the foreign country or the British
Consul where the marriage is to take place. This is required to
check what must be done to comply with the law of that country and
what documents it will be necessary to produce there.
It is possible you will be asked to obtain a certificate of no
impediment. This is a document required by some foreign authorities
to enable a non-national to marry in their country and, under
certain circumstances, can be provided by your local Register
Office. If you are asked to provide one, you should contact your
local Register Office.
If you have been asked to provide an Apostile (which is simply
formal confirmation that a signature, seal or stamp appearing on a
document is genuine), please contact “The Legalisation
Section of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office” on 0207 008111
Please note that a court can only determine the validity and
recognition in English law of a marriage, which has taken place
outside the United Kingdom under foreign local law. However,
generally speaking, such a marriage will be recognised as valid
provided that it complied with the law of the country where it took
place and the couple had the legal capacity to marry under their
law(s) of domicile.
If you are still concerned about the validity of the marriage
you should take legal advice. In such circumstances, it may
be possible to petition the courts for a declaration of status
under Section 55 of the Family Law Act 1986.
You may also wish to contact the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
on 020 7008 0186
Overseas marriages may not be registered at a Register Office.
However, you may apply to have your overseas marriage documents,
with verified translations if necessary, sent from the country
where you were married and deposited with the General Register
Office provided certain conditions apply.
From this point on, the General Register Office can issue
certified copies of the documents which saves you having to contact
the overseas authority in question. These always take the form of
black and white photocopies of the material held, and are not
presented in the form of a British-style marriage certificate. Such
photocopies are issued under the seal of the General Register
Office and are usually acceptable as evidence in just the same way
as if they were certificates issued by the authorities of the
country where the marriage originally took place.
For further information, please contact:
General Register Office’s Overseas Section on + 44 (0) 151 471
4801.
Alternatively, contact the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and
ask for Article 7 Deposit.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Consular Directorate
Passport & Documentary Services Group
Old Admiralty Building
LONDON
SW1A 2PA
Tel: +44 (20) 7008 0186 (10am to 12pm Monday to Thursday)
www.fco.gov.uk or bmdenquires@fco.gov.uk