WHAT THE GUIDANCE SAYS

Vows first,
then the schedule.

A church wedding is also a legal record.

A sunlit old stone village church porch with a wooden door ajar and white flowers arranged by the entrance — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

Announce it first
Sign the schedule
Register, then certify
Three legal steps around one ceremony

In England and Wales, every marriage in a church or chapel has to be announced or notified in advance, signed for on the day and entered in a register. Here is how that works, from official guidance.

Updated 18 October 2026

THE SHORT ANSWER

Tell, sign,
register.

The rules depend on the church and the couple.
The shape of the process is the same.

BEFORE

Banns or notice

Most Church of England weddings need banns read on three Sundays. For other religious buildings you give notice at the register office at least 29 days ahead.

Find your route

ON THE DAY

Sign the schedule

An authorised person, such as a minister, must attend and sign the marriage schedule or marriage document. With no authorised person, you book a registrar.

See the steps

AFTER

Into the register

The signed schedule goes to the local register office and is added to the register. Only then can you get your marriage certificate.

See the numbers

WHICH ROUTE APPLIES?

Where are you
getting married?

Pick the situation closest to yours. The bar shows roughly how much register-office paperwork comes before the day. Always check with your venue or minister, who will confirm what applies.

Based on GOV.UK and Church of England guidance for England and Wales. General information only, not legal advice.

Route finder

Choose a situationChurch of England, both living in England or WalesChurch of England, but the date is soon or one of you lives abroadChurch of England, one of you is not a UK or Irish nationalAnother church or chapel registered for marriage

Church of England, both living in England or WalesBanns

Banns are read on three Sundays in the three months before the wedding, in each of your home parishes and in the wedding church if different.

Church of England, but the date is soon or one of you lives abroadCommon Licence

A Common Licence replaces banns, for example if the wedding is too soon for banns or one of you lives outside England and Wales. Licences are not always guaranteed.

Church of England, one of you is not a UK or Irish nationalRegistrar's schedule

If either of you is not a UK or Irish national and does not hold settled or pre-settled status, the Church says you need a Superintendent Registrar's Marriage Schedule.

Another church or chapel registered for marriageGive notice

Each of you gives notice at your local register office at least 29 days before. An authorised person or a booked registrar must be at the ceremony.

Sources: GOV.UK, Marriages and civil partnerships in England and Wales; Church of England, Reading of banns and Do we need a marriage licence?

TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING

A short notice,
a long history.

One figure on how far ahead to start,
one on how old the system is.

29 days

Minimum notice before the ceremony

GOV.UK says you must give notice at least 29 days before your ceremony, and hold it within 12 months. Give notice on 1 May and the earliest date is 30 May.

NOTICE · GOV.UK

1837

Biggest change to registration since

On 4 May 2021 a single electronic marriage register replaced register books held in churches and register offices, the biggest change since 1837.

REGISTRATION · HOME OFFICE

The 2021 change also let both parents' names appear on marriage entries and certificates, instead of only fathers' names. GOV.UK says you can each include up to 4 parents on the schedule.

Two plain gold wedding rings resting on a closed leather-bound book on a wooden table in soft window light — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

FOUR STEPS IN ORDER

From booking
to certificate.

Exact steps vary by church and by couple. This is the outline the official guidance describes.

Choose the venue first
You must decide where the ceremony will be before giving notice, because the notice names the final venue.
Banns, licence or notice
Church of England couples can arrange banns from about four months before the wedding; other couples give notice with their documents.
Marry and sign
Exchange vows, then sign the marriage schedule or document, which the authorised person or registrar also signs.
Get the certificate
Once the schedule is in the register, ask the register office for your certificate. GRO copies cost £12.50.

CHURCH RULES TOO

Some rules
are the Church's own.

The Church of England says its weddings must take place between 8am and 6pm, and that it is not legally possible for same-sex couples to marry in the Church of England. Other religious buildings can be registered for same-sex marriages.

Since the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022, the legal age of marriage in England and Wales is 18, even with parental consent.

A hand holding a fountain pen over a cream sheet of paper on a wooden table, the page soft and out of focus — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

Questions

Questions people ask

What are banns?

An announcement in church of a couple's intention to marry, and a chance for anyone to give a reason the marriage may not lawfully take place. The Church of England calls them an ancient legal tradition.

Do we still sign a register book?

No. Since 4 May 2021 couples sign a marriage schedule or marriage document, which is sent to the register office and entered in a single electronic register.

What does a registrar cost at a church?

GOV.UK lists £114.50 for a registrar at a registered religious building, needed if the venue has no authorised person of its own.

Can a civil ceremony include a Bible reading?

No. GOV.UK says civil ceremonies must not include anything religious, such as hymns or readings from the Bible or the Torah. A religious blessing can follow a civil ceremony.

How do I get a copy of our marriage certificate later?

Order it from the General Register Office or the local register office. GOV.UK lists £12.50 per certificate, sent 4 days after you apply with a GRO index reference.

Vows first,
then the schedule.