Marriage - arrangement and ceremonies
I want to get married - what do I do first?
A civil marriage ceremony can take place in any register office in England or Wales or at any venue that has been approved to hold a civil marriage.
If you want to get married at a Church or Chapel, check with the venue - some would require a notice of marriage to be given at your district register office. Also, some venues would require the attendance of a registrar on the day.
These are questions that most people ask us, but if you find you need further information or want to book an appointment to give notice or check the date for your wedding then contact us at the Register Office.
How do I arrange to get married?
What is a Notice of Marriage?
What documents will I need to give notice?
Where can I marry?
What will the cost be?
What will happen on my Wedding Day?
I want to get married abroad - what do I do?
How do I arrange to get married?
You should first contact the superintendent registrar of the district where you wish to marry. You may provisionally book your marriage date with the superintendent any time prior to the marriage date, you will however need to pay a 50% non refundable deposit at the time of securing your chosen date. You may marry at any register office or, approved premises of your choice in England and Wales. However, for a marriage in an approved premises you will also need to make arrangements directly with the venue. For a marriage in a registered building, you may need a registrar to attend - please check with the venue. In addition, both parties need to personally give a formal notice of marriage to the superintendent registrar of the district(s) where you live.
What is a Notice of Marriage?
Before you can marry in Wales or England you must give formal notice of your intention to marry to the Superintendent Registrar of the district in which you reside. If you both live in the same district you should attend your local register office together. If you live in different registration districts then each of you will need to give notice separately in your own district. You will need to make an appointment to do this.
After giving notice you must wait 28 clear days before the marriage can take place. (In some circumstances the waiting period may be extended up to 70 days).
A notice is valid for twelve months. You may not therefore give notice of marriage more than twelve months before the date of your marriage.
What documents will I need when I give Notice?
You will need to provide proof of your identity, age, nationality and home address to enter a legal notice of intent to marry. When you make your appointment with the Superintendent Registrar, you will be advised of the documents required for this purpose.
Where can I marry?
There are various options for marriages in Wales and England.
You can choose to marry by civil ceremony in any Register Office in Wales or England, even though you do not live in the district covered by that office. You may also marry by civil ceremony in any approved premises.
You may also marry in a registered building (church or chapel) situated in your registration district. You must have prior permission to do so from the minister, priest, etc.
CIVIL CEREMONIES ONLY:
The Merthyr Tydfil Register Office
Merthyr Tydfil Register Office is located in Ty Penderyn, 26 High Street, Merthyr Tydfil.
We have two marriage venues at this location, the Register Office and the Fountain Room. The office is located on the upper ground level. The main entrance is at the corner of the building and there is a disabled and pram/buggy entrance at the side of the building . We are central for all local amenities and the surrounding area is suitable for photographs. Cyfarthfa Park, which just 5 minutes away, has several beautifully kept areas that are always popular for photographs.
The register office holds the couple getting married and two witnesses and is available at the statutory fee, Monday to Thursday (normal office hours)
The Fountain Room at Merthyr Tydfil is situated in the same building and holds a maximum of 62. The 62 will consist of The Couple, The Superintendent Registrar, Registrar and an allowance for 1 Photographer/Videographer followed by 57 guests.
Marriages may take place at the Register Office or The Fountain Room, Merthyr Tydfil at the following times:
Monday-Thursday (Register Office)
Morning: 9.30 am - 11.30 am
Afternoon: 1.30 pm - 3.00 pm
Monday-Friday (Fountain Room)
Morning:9.30am - 11.30pm
Afternoon: 1.30pm - 3.00pm
Saturday and Sunday (Fountain Room)
All day: 9.30am - 3.00pm
Approved Premises
Venues licensed to hold civil marriage ceremonies in the County Borough of Merthyr Tydfil are:-
Cyfarthfa Castle
The Guest Club, Dowlais
The Fountain Room, Ty Penderyn
Bessemer Hotel
For details of marriages at Approved Premises, please telephone the Superintendent Registrar.
What will it cost me?
The fees for the attendance of the registration officers at marriages in approved premises are set by individual local authorities and will not be the same throughout the country. This is in addition to any fees charged by the premises. You will need to contact the premises you wish to be married in for information on the fees they charge.
What will happen on my Wedding Day?
You must agree the form of words to be used and any readings or music, with the Superintendent Registrar before the day of the wedding. This will be done through your marriage pack.
Before The Ceremony
The parties may decide to arrive together or separately, and they can either enter the marriage room together, or one of the parties can be escorted in to his/her waiting partner. If you are marrying in a register office or approved premise, the registrar will see you both in private before the ceremony. You will each be asked for the following information:
Your full name, date of birth, occupation and the address of your residence on the day of your marriage.
The full name and occupation of your parents and whether they are retired or deceased. You do not have to record parents details.
It is your responsibility to provide two witnesses to the marriage who are usually friends or relatives. They must be able to understand what is taking place and be able to give evidence of what they have seen and heard in the unlikely event that this should become necessary. We therefore ask that they be over the age of 16.
On your wedding day it is normal for us to request that your guests enter the marriage ceremony room prior to your arrival, so that your entrance is the first time they see you.
If arriving separately we would ask that Party 1 arrives 30 minutes before your scheduled ceremony time, your guests should arrive (and be encouraged to enter the ceremony room) 15-20 minutes prior to your scheduled booking and Party 2 should arrive 10 minutes prior to the scheduled ceremony time.
We only put out one team of registrars per day and more often than not, we will have more ceremonies before and/or after yours to attend, so it is vital that you and your guests arrive on time for the ceremony to begin. Due to other marriage commitments, unfortunately, if either party is late arriving and your scheduled ceremony’s commencement is delayed, then it is possible that our staff will have no option but to leave your venue to conduct the next scheduled ceremony / ceremonies. Should this happen, we will do our very best to reschedule you at the end of that working day but it could be a lengthy delay for you and your guests.
During the ceremony
Video cameras can be used during the ceremony, and a photographer is allowed to take photographs during the ceremony. Time will be given at the end for others to take photographs.
Your ceremony will take a maximum of 30 minutes.
After the ceremony
Once the ceremony is over, the Registrar will ask you to check that your details are correct on the marriage schedule. Please check them carefully, as there can be problems if errors have to be corrected later. You will then be asked to sign the marriage schedule in the name under which you contracted the marriage. Your two witnesses will then be asked to sign, followed by the Superintendent Registrar or Minister who conducted the marriage ceremony and finally, the Registrar.
Adding personal touches to your ceremony
Although you cannot incorporate any religious content into a civil marriage ceremony, you may be able to add individual touches such as non-religious music and/or readings. This will be able to be decided in your marriage pack.
I want to get married abroad, what do I do?
If you have any enquiries about marrying abroad, you should contact the Embassy or High Commission of the country concerned, who will advise you further.