If you intend to get married or form a civil partnership you must sign a legal statement at your local register office. This is known as ‘giving notice’.

It is important that you agree the date and time of your ceremony with our registration service and/or your chosen venue before making any other arrangements.

Where to give notice

In order to give notice, both of you must have lived in your registration district for at least 7 full days immediately before giving notice.

If you live in the same district, you can give notice together (at your local register office). If you live in different districts, each of you will have to give notice in your own districts separately.

Wrexham register office
You will need to email our register office to make an appointment to give notice.

Fee

You will need to pay a fee of £35 each to give notice. 

How long is it valid for?

Once you have given notice it is valid for one year (12 months), but only at the venue stated.

Change of venue

If you wish to change the venue for your ceremony then you must give a new notice. 

Can someone else give notice on our behalf?

No. The statement must be signed by you and the person you are going to marry/form a civil partnership with.

Providing documents

When you give notice, you will be asked to provide certain documents. We will usually advise you on what to bring when you email our register office to make an appointment. 

The documents you need to bring will depend on your circumstances, but may include:

  • Full birth certificate (showing parents’ details)
  • Valid passport
  • Driving licence 
  • Recently dated letter addressed to you from a bank or utility company
  • Original decree absolute with court stamp
  • Foreign divorce documents with certified English translation
  • Certificate of civil partnership dissolution
  • Death certificate of previous spouse or civil partner
  • Marriage or civil partnership certificate of spouse or civil partner
  • Change of name deed or statutory declaration if you have changed your name
  • EUSS share code if applicable

Only original documents are accepted and, if they are in a foreign language, you will need to provide a certified English translation.

If either of you is subject to immigration control, special rules may apply. Check the information for ‘If you or your partner are from outside the UK’ via the following link:

GOV.UK: marriages and civil partnerships in England and Wales (external link)

If you need further guidance you can contact our register office.