• GIVING •
NOTICE
If you are marrying in one of our approved venues , community venues or our register office , you will need to give notice of marriage . This is a legal requirement – without it , your marriage cannot go ahead .
You can give your notice no earlier than a year before the date of your marriage and you must do it at least 28 days before the date of your wedding but we would always advise couples to complete paperwork sooner than that . When you book your registrars for your wedding , our Ceremonies Team will talk to you about giving notice and advise you of the best dates to complete this important legal process .
You can attend any registration point in your local area to give your notice of marriage . If you live in Essex you can go to any of our registration points . However , Southend and Thurrock are unitary districts of Essex and residents of these areas cannot give notice at our registration points .
The same applies to people living in London boroughs , for example llford is Redbridge and Romford is Havering .
Residents of these areas will have to go to their local registration service to give notice even if the wedding is taking place in Essex . The easiest way to work out which area you should give your notice in is to check your Council Tax bill !
The authority you pay your Council Tax to is usually the area where you will have to give notice . Please call us on 0345 603 7632 if you are unsure .
It ’ s a simple process but we do need to see some paperwork and details can be found in the box below . There is also a statutory fee to pay - £ 35 per person , payable to the registration point when your give your notice on the day of your appointment .
• DOCUMENTS •
Everyone who gives notice must produce certain evidence to the Deputy Superintendent Registrar at their appointment . You will need to prove your identity , nationality and address but there may be other paperwork we need to see depending on your circumstances – our Ceremonies Team can advise you .
Typically , we ask to see a full valid UK passport , a UK driving licence , a UK birth certificate and a proof of address from the past month but you may also need to show change of name documents depending on your circumstances .
If you have been married before we will need to see evidence of how your last marriage ended – an original version of your decree absolute or your last spouse ’ s death certificate .
If the divorce was abroad please contact the Ceremonies Team on 0345 603 7632 as they will explain the requirements and fees .
• IMPORTANT •
If either partner is subject to immigration control then you will both need to give your notice at a Designated Register Office – please call our advisers on 0345 603 7632 for further information .
Anyone aged 16 or 17 intending to give notice must provide written consent from their parent or legal guardian .
In some circumstances , Notices of Marriage given at a Designated Registration Office may have their waiting period extended up to 70 days .
29