booking the registra - Wedding Forum

helen_adele · #1 (**permalink**) 19-03-2002, 12:03 PM

I have a feeling i'm getting stressed over nothing but this is bugging me.

we are getting married in a different area to the one we live in and the area we are getting married in wont take registra bookings untill a year before the date but we have to book the venue now to make sure we get the date we want.

so what happens if we can't get a registra.

sorry if that was all a bit garbled but i don't really understand how all this booking and giving notice stuff works and i don't want to end up with a venue and no regiastra to perform the marriage.

any help or reasurance appreciated

h.

Dawnie · #2 (**permalink**) 19-03-2002, 12:10 PM

Hi there,

Haven't been through this myself, but have friends who have just done this.

Basically, they booked their venue about a year and a half ago. They're getting married on 2nd November 2002. So, they made an appointment to see the registrar on 2nd November 2001 and had no problems at all.

Everything is now booked, venue, registrar, the works.

Hope it's as easy as that for you, but i'm sure some of theses lovely laydees can be a bit more helpful.

Dawn

roz · #3 (**permalink**) 19-03-2002, 12:11 PM

Some registrar's will pencil you in over a year in advance so ask if they'll do that. I think it's because you can't give notice more than a year in advance that you can't book the registrar. Book your venue because there are ways around this. If necessary phone your registrar at 8.30 a year in advance...

We have to give notice in Manchester even though we're getting married in Devon, I'm quite glad we live together so we can go together to do it! We'll be doing it before too long I expect (now I've notified the Council Tax people that Chris is living with me and we can go on the electorall roll etc.

It's quite easy and I'm sure there's lots of websites that will tell you all about it. The North yorks and humberside website seems to be quite good on weddings ( find it from this list... http://www.tagish.co.uk/links/localgov.htm )

And don't stress...

Bev · #4 (**permalink**) 19-03-2002, 12:38 PM

Roz - you seem really clued up on this so I'm going to ask you!

Mark and I were intending to see our local registrar in Lambeth 7 days after we land in the UK (as we've been told we have to be living in the borough for that amount of time before we can register with them). However, you've menetioned the electoral roll - and I'm thinking this is more complicated than we had first imagined.

We have to get the meeting over with the local one ASAP to make time to get down to the Isle of Wight to see our registrar and register in person. So do we have to do loads of complicated stuff? :confused:

roz · #5 (**permalink**) 19-03-2002, 12:45 PM

I'm really not very clued up - i think we geberally make it up as we go along!! I've copied this from the N Yorks web site - hope it helps everyone!!

The Notice of Marriage

Both of you must have lived in a registration district in England or Wales for at least seven days immediately before giving notice at the Register Office. If you both live in the same district you should attend your local Register Office together to give your notice of marriage. If you live in different registration districts then each of you will need to give notice separately in your own area. After giving notice you must wait a further fifteen clear days before the marriage can take place, for example if notice is given on 1st July marriage may take place on or after 17th July.

If you live abroad, then you must be in England or Wales for the seven days immediately before giving notice, but you do not need to be in this country for the following fifteen days after giving notice. The notice that you give is valid for 12 months.

When you go to the Register Office to complete the legal Notice of Marriage you may be asked to produce certain documents, depending on your personal circumstances:

Two (2) forms of identity : A birth certificate, driving licence, medical card, passport or some other official identity document, PLUS Confirmation of Residence (if possible) e.g. utility bills.
If you have been married before, evidence of how your (most recent) marriage ended. For example, in the case of divorce you should take your Decree Absolute – which must have on it an original stamp from the issuing court. If you have been widowed, the Death Certificate of your former spouse is normally required.
Deed Poll or Statutory Declaration documents if you have formally changed your name.
The current fee.
Notice cannot be given by anyone other than the Bride and Groom.

If you are under 18 years of age, you may need the consent of your parents before you can be married.

Taz · #6 (**permalink**) 19-03-2002, 01:09 PM

We tried to book our registrar now and we were told that we have to wait until 1 year before. We have had to book our venue now as well so that is of use to me too thanks..

Roll on July when i can get that booked and then relax a bit - wonder what would happen if you couldn't get the registrar in your area.

Bev · #7 (**permalink**) 19-03-2002, 01:34 PM

Thanks for that Roz! Hmmm... proving where we live is going to be tricky for Mark. Grrrr, why do they make all this so bloody hard!!!

roz · #8 (**permalink**) 19-03-2002, 01:41 PM

Get your mum to ring them and ask what they would take and then ring someone up - anyone as long as they're vaguely offical, and ask them to send you an application form or whatever, then you get a letter. Bingo!! And if you do it a couple of weeks before you come over then it's got time to get there too. Am I sly?

xxxx

laurali · #9 (**permalink**) 19-03-2002, 06:44 PM

although we have not yet set a date, i' wondering if anyone knows if registrars can perform ceromonies anywhere in the country or do they have to be local?

:confused:

Gail · #10 (**permalink**) 20-03-2002, 03:45 AM

We have had the same problem. To registar has told us to phone them for an appointment a few day before it's a year till we want to get married and put an appointment in to see them as early as possible on the 5th of July this year. This way she said that we should have no problem to get booked for that day and have a choice of times. We have already booked our venue and the caterers but we aren't booking anything else until we have our appointment with the registars.

Gail

Em · #11 (**permalink**) 20-03-2002, 05:57 AM

Hi there,

We had the same problem - getting married in a different district from the one you live in. It is standard procedure that you are not allowed to book in over 1 year in advance. We did not find this to be a problem at all - we just called up the registrar one year in advance, first thing in the morning, and booked the date and time we wanted. As everyone is in the same position - its not as though you are being treated unfairly. Giving notice in your own area is not such a big deal - just call them up once you have a date and time booked and set up a meeting. They only need two weeks after you have given notice for your papers to be ready - and the registrar marrying you doesn't need those papers until your final meeting - 6 weeks prior to the actual marriage.

Don't stress - you really have loads of time.

Emx

helen_adele · #12 (**permalink**) 20-03-2002, 06:02 AM

thanks to all of you for your advice and help

I'm sure it will be fine after all everyone else seems to manage it.
I just got a sudden vision of havine booked everything and ending up with no one to marry us and panicked.