How do we get married?

Question

My other half and I want to get married and have no idea how to go about it. We are in our late twenties and have three lovely children and now feel the time is right to get ourselves legally recognised!
We want to just bugger off and do it in secret without any of our families there so that we dont have to worry about inviting so and so etc etc. Im great mates with my uncle in London and thought about going for the weekend and getting him and his wife to be witnesses but we dont know what we have to do or what paperwork we have to sort out first. Anyone help us? We arent of any religious faith, just a nice hour at the registry office would do :o)
Thanks :o)

We are in the UK by the way.

Answer 1

Find out what borough your uncle lives in in London. Then contact the council there and speak to the registrar in the department of births, marriages and deaths. You will need to book ahead, and 15 days notice is required. Sometimes you also need to be "resident" there for some days beforehand. Then just travel down and have the ceremony. If you dont want to worry about the residency requirements, Scotland dosent have any. As people have said here, gretna is a good choice, its right on the boarder and you can walk to the registry office from the train station (about 20 mins). Alternativly get married in Glasgow, the registry office is beautiful - and if you need a witness I'll do it! :-)

Answer 2

U'll need UR birth certificates, if UR unmarried U shouldn't need any other paperwork.
Go 2 UR local registry office, book a date preferable 2 U both.
It's not difficult 2 arrange, about £50, I'm sure of the exact amount & about £60 on the day.
U can grab a couple of strangers off the street 4 witnesses.
It's notoriously difficult 2 get married in a different area & will only make it more complicated.

Answer 3

You won't get an hour at the registry office. More like 15 minutes.
Paper work is probably birth certificates and proof of address - electoral roll. If Brits had ID cards it would be much simpler. Have you considered Gretna Green. Try them on the Internet, they'll give you the details and might even throw in a bag-piper.

Answer 4

My husband and I got married like that, with only two people to witness, even though you don't have to have a witness where I am from. First we went to the Town Hall and got a marriage license. About a page of paperwork and then we were able to pick up the license about 2-3 days later. Then we called a Justice of the Peace up and he agreed to do it that night. We got married and the rest of the paperwork was taken care of by the JP.

Answer 5

I don't know how it works in England... but I live in Illinois U.S. and when my husband and I got married we had to fill out a marriage license and then had to wait at least 24 hours before getting married. Some places also require blood tests being done beforehand. Your best bet would be to contact someone at the place where you wish to be married at. They should know exactly what you will need to do to be married. My husband and I got married in a courthouse in front of a judge. We have now been married for 11 years and are as happy as ever. May God bless your marriage and I hope for you many years of happiness!!!

Answer 6

In England you have to give notice of your intention to marry, and this notice has to be displayed at the registry office for 15 clear days prior to the marriage. It's a legal requirement to do this.

Have a look at this website - it explains it all in much more detail. I used the site when my fiancé and I were thinking about getting married abroad: http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/marriages/

Good luck, I hope you really enjoy whatever you choose to do and have a fantastic married life.

Answer 7

Gol to theRegistrar's office at the Civic Centre and ask or go to the Citizens Advice Bureau but I think the best bet is the Registrar

Answer 8

I have no idea of the marriage laws in the UK (I'm USA). My only advice is that you plan something special even if it's small. And under any circumstance plan it in a manner to include the children and make it a special day for them as well.

Answer 9

only takes 15 mins in registry office,just go to one in another area fill out forms and pay,then about 14 days later they will marry you,take 2 witnesses.

Answer 10

In the UK you cannot normally just "get married that night" unless one of you is probably not going to live, in which case you would need a special licence. You can go to the Register Office where you live (I am not sure if residency rules still apply) and they will advise you.

Alternatively, go to your local county council website and click on the link called "Getting married in [name of county]". That will explain how you can get married.

I completely sympathise with wanting to marry quietly without all the fuss of family getting excited about it. If my boyfriend and I ever marry, we might do it in New Zealand where my Dad lives, maybe get married beside a waterfall with just dad and his girlfriend there, and maybe my man's sister, who lives in Oz.