Anyone wishing to marry or form a civil partnership in England or Wales must give notice before their ceremony can take place.
Giving notice involves attending an appointment where you will declare:
- who you intend to marry or form a civil partnership with
- where the ceremony will take place
- that you are legally free to get married or form a civil partnership
Giving notice is a legal requirement.
You will need to provide certain documents to the registrar at your notice appointment, so it is important you check you have all the paperwork you will need.
Confirming your venue
You will need to have booked or confirmed the venue where your ceremony will take place before giving notice –
- if you plan to hold your ceremony in Lincolnshire, please book a ceremony date with us before attending your appointment
- if you plan to hold your ceremony outside of Lincolnshire, please ensure you have a ceremony booking in place with the local registrars
You must also decide on the type of ceremony you will have either a civil marriage or civil partnership. Neither the type of ceremony or venue can be changed once notice has been given.
When to give notice
- notice can be given up to 12 months in advance and are valid for 12 months.
- if your marriage or civil partnership does not take place within 12 months of giving notice, you will need to give fresh notices and pay the notice fee again
- if you change the venue for your ceremony, you will need to give notice again
- you must both give your notices at least 29 days before your ceremony date, however we recommend giving notice at least three months before
- if you or your partner are foreign nationals and are subject to immigration control, we may have to refer your marriage to the home office. So you both must give your notices at least 70 days before your ceremony date.
Where to give notice
- notice must be given in the district where you live, regardless of where your marriage or civil partnership occurs
- if you live in Lincolnshire, you can book an appointment to give notice at any of our registration offices
- if you live outside of Lincolnshire, you must give your notice of marriage or civil partnership at the registry office in your district(s)
- if you or your partner are foreign nationals subject to immigration control, you must both give notice together. Notices must be given in the district where you live.
- you can choose which district to give notice in if you live in separate districts.
If one or both of you live abroad, you must have lived within the registration district for at least seven full days immediately before you give notice. The day you arrive and the day you give notice do not count towards the seven-day residency requirement. You will be required to prove the residency period at your notice appointment. This rule has no exceptions, even if you are a British citizen living abroad.
If you live outside of Lincolnshire, you will need to contact your local council to arrange to give notice.
If you intend to hold your legal ceremony outside the UK, visit our getting married abroad page.