How to Marry in Cheshire East
Cheshire East features idyllic rural landscapes and picturesque
historic towns and, with over 60 Approved Premises (venues) and two
Register Offices, you are sure to find a setting that is perfect
for you.
Your Ceremony Your Choice
The Cheshire East Registrars team have created a new brochure,
Your Ceremony Your Choice -
Marriages in Cheshire East (PDF, 4.5MB), to help you plan your
special day.
You can also visit our dedicated ceremony website Your Ceremony Your
Choice for further information.
Whether you are planning a small, intimate ceremony or a grand
occasion, our professional and dedicated Registrars can help create
a ceremony of the highest standard that will leave you with
memories to treasure for a lifetime.
Where can I get married?
The marriage venue that you choose will depend
on what type of ceremony you wish to have. There are three types of
ceremony venues offered within England and Wales:
- A civil ceremony in Approved Premises.
- A civil ceremony in a Register Office.
- A religious ceremony in a church or other religious
building.
A Civil Ceremony in an Approved Premises
There is a variety of over 60 Approved
Premises within Cheshire East which are licensed to hold civil
marriages including: hotels, stately homes, restaurants and even a
castle.
Although the legal marriage notices are only valid for twelve
months, you can book Registrars up to two years in advance, by
telephoning the Register Office for the registration area in which
the Approved Premise is located. A deposit is payable, which is
deducted from the fee charged for the Registrars to attend on the
day of the marriage.
Marriages at Approved Premises are performed seven days per week
between 10.00am and 4.00pm.
Ceremonies are available on all Bank Holidays except Christmas
Day.
A Civil Ceremony in a Register Office
Cheshire East has two attractive ceremony rooms, one in each of our Register
Offices situated in Crewe and Macclesfield.
You can make a booking to have a Register Office ceremony up to one
year in advance.
As soon as you have decided on a ceremony date, we suggest you
contact your chosen Register Office, to check availability and make
a provisional booking.
We will hold your provisional booking for a short time to enable
you to give legal notice of marriage which, once completed, will
confirm your booking.
We charge a statutory fee for the attendance of two Registrars and
the use of the marriage room.
The ceremony rooms are available from Monday to Saturday,
between 10.00am and 4.00pm.
Religious Ceremonies
A religious ceremony may take place at a
church or chapel of the Church of England or Church of Wales, or in
any other place of worship formally registered for marriages by the
Registrar General.
Church of England or Wales
If you wish to be married in the Church of
England or Church of Wales, please speak to the Vicar of that
Church first. If the Vicar can marry you, he or she will make
arrangements for the Banns to be called or for a common licence to
be issued. If Banns are not called, you will both have to give
notice of marriage in the area in which you live. Please see
‘Booking Your Marriage’ for further details.
A marriage within the Church of England or Wales does not
generally involve the Register Office. For enquiries regarding
fees, please contact the Vicar or Incumbent of the
church.
Other churches or religious buildings
If you are planning a wedding in any other
church or religious building, first seek permission from the
Minister or governing body before you make other arrangements. You
will need to give a notice of marriage to the Superintendent
Registrar for the area in which you reside. Usually there is a
person appointed at the church or building who can register your
marriage. If not, a Registrar from the area in which the venue is
located will have to attend. If a registrar is required to attend
and register the marriage, before making any firm
commitments, please contact the Registration Service to
ensure that they can provide this service. For ceremonies within
Cheshire East Registration authority, please telephone 01270
375140.
What should I do if I marry overseas?
If you are thinking about getting married
abroad, please contact the appropriate embassy or consulate so that
they can advise you of the formalities and documentation required
by that country. For more information and advice, you can
contact the ‘General Register Office’.
How can I book my marriage?
- The first step in booking your marriage is to decide where you
would like the marriage to take place and make a provisional
booking. If you choose one of our Approved Premises, please check
that Registrars are available from the local Register Office.
- The next step is to arrange to complete the legal notices of
marriage in the registration authority where you reside. For
details about residential qualifications, please contact your local
Register Office.
If you live in Cheshire East, you can telephone one of the Register
Offices to make an appointment.
If you live outside Cheshire East, please contact your local
Register Office.
If you live in different local authority areas, notices will have
to be given in each area.
Both parties have to give notice in person.
- When you call to make your appointment to give notice, ask your
Registrar which documents you will need to produce, such as:
- Evidence of identity, age and nationality, ideally a
passport.
- Change of name documents.
- Proof of residence in the form of a utility bill or other
official document which shows your home address.
- If appropriate, evidence of how any previous marriage ended,
such as a divorce decree absolute or a death certificate.
- If you are under 18 years, parental consent will be
required.
- If either of you is subject to immigration control you
will need to provide further documents.
- Please have the correct fee with you when you give notice.
- Marriage cannot take place until after 15 clear days have
elapsed from the day of giving notice. During the 15 day waiting
period, the notices will be displayed in your local Registration
Authority.
- Once the 15 day waiting period has elapsed, the marriage can
only take place at the venue specified on the notices. The notices
are valid for 12 months. If you change the venue, or the notices
expire, fresh notices will have to be given.
Are there any restrictions for non-UK citizens?
There are special procedures when either
partner is a non-EEA (European Economic Area) national who is
subject to immigration control. If this applies to you,
please contact your local Register Office for further advice.
Can I personalise my ceremony?
Once your booking is confirmed and you have
both given notice of marriage, you will receive our marriage
ceremony guide which outlines ideas and suggestions for your
ceremony.
If you wish to personalise your ceremony with your own readings and
music or if you would like to discuss any aspect of your ceremony,
please do not hesitate to contact your Ceremonies Officer who will
be happy to discuss your requirements.
Please note, legally we are not allowed to include
wording, readings or music which may have religious connotations
within our civil marriage ceremonies.
Where can I obtain further information?
Once you have given notice of marriage,
remember to request our free marriage brochure, which contains
information to help you plan your day, including advice for the
ceremony and suggested readings.
What costs are involved?
All the fees for marriage are shown
on our fees
page.
Fees for marriages conducted at non-conformist or Roman Catholic
churches, please contact the appropriate Minister or Priest.
Important Note: If you have been living on your
own and claiming Single Person Discount on Council Tax, and are now
going to be living with your spouse, then please ensure you notify
the relevant authority.