Changes to marriage registration

The Marriages, Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration Etc.) Act 2019

The Act will modernise how marriages are registered for the first time since 1837, through issue of a marriage schedule system and registration in an electronic register. It will move away from the current paper register creating a more secure system for keeping marriage records, that is also more efficient and far simpler to administer and amend, if necessary, in the future. The electronic register will also allow for the names of the parents of the couple (mother/father / parent) to be included in the marriage entry and on marriage certificates, instead of only their fathers’ names as is currently the case.

This will be implemented from 4th May 2021

What will change?

Ceremonies at Our Venues and Approved Marriage and Civil Partnership Venues

  • Couples will not be invited to sign a marriage register but will be invited to sign a marriage schedule which is an A4 document.
  • Couples will have the option to include up to 4x parents in the schedule and subsequently their marriage certificate i.e. Mother, Father, Step Mother and Stepfather.
  • Couples will not receive marriage certificates on the day of the marriage these will be processed in a specified timescale by the Register Office in business hours for collecting/posting in line with customer choice. 

Marriages in Religious Buildings (not Church of England)

  • From the date of implementation, if they have already collected their Certificates for Marriage (blue paperwork) couples will need to arrange to collect the marriage schedule for their ceremony to take place.   The Registration Team will contact couples in date order to make arrangements for this.
  • On the day of the ceremony, couples will not be invited to sign a marriage register but will be invited to sign a marriage schedule which is an A4 document.
  • Couples will have the option to include up to 4 x parents in the schedule and subsequently their marriage certificate i.e. Mother, Father, Step Mother and Stepfather.
  • Couples will not receive marriage certificates on the day of the marriage.
  • Couples are expected to return the signed schedule to the Register Office in the District where the marriage took place within 21 days.  On return, they will need to complete an application form and make payment for the number of marriage certificates they require.  These will be processed in a specified timescale by the Registration Office in business hours for collecting/posting in line with customer choice. 

Church of England Marriages

  • On the day of the ceremony, couples will not be invited to sign a marriage register but will be invited to sign a marriage document which is an A4 document.
  • Couples will have the option to include up to 4x parents in the schedule and subsequently their marriage certificate i.e. Mother, Father, Step Mother and Stepfather.
  • Couples will not receive marriage certificates on the day of the marriage.
  • Couples are expected to return the signed marriage document to the Register Office in the District where the marriage took place within 21 days.  On return they will need to complete an application form and make payment for the number of marriage certificates they require.  These will be processed in a specified timescale by the Registration Office in business hours for collecting/posting in line with customer choice. 

Marriage of British Subjects Facilities Acts (BSFA)

There will no longer be any provision to give the notice to marry in countries that were formerly covered by these acts and therefore transitional arrangements will apply to couples who have already given notice to marry here or in one of the relevant countries after the implementation date. 

For BSFA notices given in advance of the implementation date, for a marriage in one of the counties covered by these acts, an Authority may still issue their certificate, subject to the usual caveats about marrying in these countries.  On or after the implementation date, couples will need to speak to the High Commissions of the countries concerned for further advice. 

For BSFA notices given abroad for marriages in England and Wales then both parties will need to give notice under the Marriage Schedule System, most likely at a Designated Register Office and may in some instances need to apply for a waiver.

Last Modified: 17/02/2023 11:18:24