YOUR CEREMONY
LEGAL PRELIMINARIES OF MARRIAGE OR CIVIL PARTNERSHIP
Each party to a civil marriage or partnership must make an appointment to visit his or her local register office and give formal notice that they intend to be married or enter into a civil partnership . This notice is put on public display for 28 days , during which time anyone can object to the proposed ceremony . On the 29th day , and providing no valid objections have been received , the registrar will issue an authority for the marriage or partnership to take place . Please note , foreign national notice periods may be extended to 70 days .
IS THE CEREMONY CONDUCTED BY AN INDEPENDENT CELEBRANT LEGAL ? No , while an independent celebrant is able to offer you a celebration or renewal of vows ceremony , they are not licensed by law to marry you . You would first need to go through a civil marriage in a register office or other licensed place for marriage , which would incur additional costs .
HOW FAR IN ADVANCE CAN I MAKE A BOOKING FOR A CIVIL CEREMONY ? A ceremony can be booked up to three years in advance , although your legal preliminaries cannot be given until one year before the ceremony .
WHO CAN I HAVE AS WITNESSES ? Two witnesses are needed to sign the schedule with you . They can be family or friends , or anyone of your choice and preferably aged over 18 . If you use an interpreter during the ceremony , that person must sign the schedule as one of your witnesses .
DO I HAVE TO CHANGE MY NAME ? There is no legal requirement for either party to change their name - it is purely personal choice and traditional to do so . If either person wishes to change their name on marriage , they should simply advise those organisations concerned , for example their bank or insurance company . On the day of the marriage , both parties must sign their usual signature regardless of any future name change they wish to make .
CAN PHOTOGRAPHS BE TAKEN DURING THE CEREMONY ? Photos and videos can be taken at any point before , during and after the ceremony , provided they do not interrupt the ceremony . Please advise your photographer / videographer to speak to the celebrant on the day to agree where they should stand .
WHAT HAPPENS ON THE DAY OF THE CEREMONY ? To make sure everything goes ahead on time and without any hitches , you and your guests will need to arrive at least 15 minutes before your ceremony is due to start . Some venues may require you to arrive earlier than this . Please remember to allow time for traffic delays , parking limitations and preceremony photographs .
The registrar will need to interview you both individually before the ceremony to check if the details on the marriage or civil partnership schedule are correct .
If you ’ re getting ready at the venue this can be done in your room .
CAN I HOLD A RELIGIOUS BLESSING IN MY VENUE JUST BEFORE MY KENTISH CEREMONY TAKES PLACE ? Blessings should only take place after the civil ceremony is complete and the celebrant and registrar have left the approved premises . We do not permit religious blessings to take place before a civil ceremony .
CAN I WELCOME GUESTS WITH A DRINK PRIOR TO THE CEREMONY ? Food and drink are not permitted in the ceremony room / area or the restricted area around the ceremony room / area , one hour prior to or during the ceremony .
You will need to wait until after the ceremony for a celebratory drink .
SUMMER TIP
Considering a summer ceremony ? If it ’ s outdoors , think about having it later in the day when the midday sun isn ’ t as harsh .
HOW DO I RE-REGISTER MY CHILDREN ? On the marriage of a child ’ s natural parents , the birth of that child may be re-registered as a result of the marriage .
You will need to apply for a re-registration of the child ’ s birth under section 14 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act . You can obtain a form ( LAl ) for this from the Kent Registration Service .
The form has to be completed and signed by both parents . One or both parents can then attend the register office bringing the completed form , child ’ s birth certificate and the marriage certificate .
The birth will then be registered again in the presence of a registrar .
You can buy certified copies of the reregistered entry .
If you have further questions regarding civil ceremonies in Kent or Bexley , contact details for our ceremonies team can be found at akentishceremony . com .
20 | AKENTISHCEREMONY . COM | SUMMER 2023