Couple of passages of information that maybe of interest:
The law specifies that the minimum waiting time between giving notice of intended marriage and getting married is 15 clear days. Both parties to the marriage must also have lived in their respective districts for at least 7 days before notice of marriage is given. Each person must attend, in person, the Register Office for the district in which they live to give their notice of marriage.
If the marriage is to be by civil ceremony, either in a Register Office or Approved Premises, it is not necessary for either of the parties to live in the district where the marriage is to be held. However, notice of marriage must be given in the district/s in which the couple live.
The only exception is where one of the persons getting married is terminally ill. In these circumstances the marriage can take place very quickly, sometimes on the same day that the arrangements have been made, and the marriage can take place at home, in a hospital or any other place where the party who is terminally ill happens to be.
In exceptional circumstances the Registrar General can reduce the 15 day waiting period on application by the persons getting married. This application attracts a consideration fee, likely to be £28, for each notice of marriage and there is no guarantee that an application will be successful. The Registrar General has made it clear that the reasons for reducing the waiting period will have to be good and has already stated that the fact of persons arriving from abroad and wanting to be married whilst on holiday will not be sufficient reason to reduce the waiting period. Information on making application to reduce the waiting period should be made to your local Register Office.
The second bit:
Part of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants) Act 2004 is due to come into force on 1st February 2005. Persons under immigration control who wish to give notice to marry on or after this date will be unable to do so unless:
They have entry clearance granted expressly for the purpose of marriage in the UK;
or They have the written permission of the Secretary of state to marry in the UK, in the form of a certificate of approval from the Home Office’s Immigration and Nationality Department;
or They fall within a class of persons specified by the Secretary of State. This will be someone with settled status in the UK (such as indefinite leave to remain).
On or after 1st February 2005 all persons under immigration control who are marrying after civil preliminaries (giving notices) must give their notice to marry at a designated Register Office. They must be accompanied by the person they wish to marry who must also give notice at the same time. These rules will apply from 1st February 2005 even if one of you has already given notice to marry.
If you and your fiance have given notice to marry on or before 31st January 2005 you will not be affected unless you change the venue for your marriage when new notices will be required.
If you OR your fiancée is a person subject to immigration control i.e. not a citizen of one of the following countries:
Austria
Belgium
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece Hungary
Iceland
Irish Republic
Italy
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands Norway
Poland
Portugal
Slovenia
Slovak Republic
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
You may be affected by the new law unless you have a ‘certificate of entitlement to Right of Abode’
