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Marriage and civil partnerships

Giving notice of a marriage

If you want to marry you must both give notice at the Register Office in the area where you have lived for the eight days before giving notice, regardless of where you intend to marry.

If you live outside of west Cheshire please contact your local Register Office, details of your local Register Office are available on the GOV.UK website.

Notices can be given up to 12 months in advance of your ceremony. A fee is charged for the notice. From 1 November 2017, foreign divorce documents will be considered for an additional fee. See below for further information about documents to bring to the Register Office

Documents to bring with you

You will be asked to produce certain documents depending on your individual circumstances. The type of documents we normally need are:

  • evidence of identity, age and nationality, ideally a passport
  • any change of name documents
  • proof of residence such as a valid UK or EEA driving licence or a utility bill or other official document which shows your home address. A utility bill should be dated no more than three months prior to giving notice of marriage, a bank statement or building society statement dated no more than one month prior to giving notice of marriage, a council tax bill should be dated no more than 12 months prior to giving notice of marriage
  • evidence of how any previous marriage or civil partnership ended, such as a divorce decree absolute or a death certificate. If your divorce was heard outside the UK there is an additional fee to consider your divorce document
  • if either of you are subject to immigration control you will need to provide further documents
  • name and address of the venue

Notices of marriage are displayed for 28 days in your local Register Office and are valid for 12 months. More details of the documents can be found on the GOV.UK website.

If you change your venue or notices expire, fresh notices will have to be given and a fee will be charged.

Book an appointment

You can book your appointment online if you are both:

  • British, Irish or have EUSS
  • Both resident in England or Wales
  • One or both of you has lived in Cheshire West and Chester for at least eight days
  • You are marrying in England or Wales and know the venue where your ceremony will take place
  • The date of your ceremony is between 29 days and one year of your appointment
Book an appointment

If one or both of you are not British, Irish or have EUSS (Settled or pre settled status) please complete an enquiry form giving as much information as possible. A member of the team will then contact you to make your appointment.

A limited number of Saturday appointments are available for an additional fee, if you would like to enquire about this service please complete an enquiry form and a member of the team will contact you.

Make an enquiry

Marriage schedule

If you are marrying in west Cheshire but live outside the borough (and gave notice of marriage elsewhere), we will issue your marriage schedule.

This document will be issued following the display of your marriage notices for a 28 day period. The schedule will contain all of the details required to complete a marriage registration and is used by the Registrar who officiates at your ceremony.