Navigating English Elopement Laws

With the West Country being one of the top elopement wedding destinations in the UK, couples travel from all over the world for their Elopement or Intimate Wedding here in Devon, and so we are often asked various questions about how couples can get married legally in the UK.

You can get legally married in the UK in a registry office, however the process takes over 37 days and couples aren’t always in the UK for that length of time.

Our couples consider the legal requirement as a no-frills’ certificate signing appointment. Having a Celebrant-led Wedding Ceremony with us, outdoors (or indoors) is all about FREEDOM. You will be able to have your wedding anywhere you want to…. Moorland, Beaches, Caves, Clifftops, Forests, Woodland, Meadows – and at any time of the day or night, (not just between 8am and 6pm!). If you have your simple, stress-free elopement or small wedding ceremony with us, your wedding will not have any Government rules, regulations or restrictions placed on your venue, wording, vows, music, readings or length of your ceremony. Your celebration will be all about you and what you want.

THIS is your Wedding ceremony – not the legal ‘certificate signing’. Your elopement is the time when you make your heartfelt vows to each other, your ceremony of commitment, the joining of two hearts.

We are here to take the stress out of planning your elopement so we advise and support your through the requirements for your particular circumstances.

Having an outdoor Celebrant-led Wedding is not currently legal in the UK, however the Government is looking at changing this and we have everything crossed that it is only a matter of time before this happens! The new laws would mean that couples would be able to have much more freedom to choose where they get married – including locations that aren’t licensed under the current laws, such as forests, local parks, even your own back garden – and Independent Celebrants (not affiliated with any religion or non-religious belief system) will be able to conduct a civil wedding ceremony.

Marriage laws at present have been in existence since the early 1800’s so are very outdated and not at all relevant to modern day Marriages. Most of our couples are aware that outdoor ceremonies are not legal and those that would like to legalise their marriage have a quick ‘no-frills’ legal signing appointment at their local Registry Office. This usually takes about 15 minutes and no vows or exchanging of rings is required – it is, simply put, a legal certificate signing process.

With this post, we hope to answer any questions or concerns you may have regarding the ‘legalities’ as best we can, to help put your mind at rest and make your wedding journey simpler and easier to navigate. If you choose an enchanting elopement, with us in here in Devon, we are here to advise and support you through this process.

How to Legally Marry…

To legally bind your elopement you would have a civil ceremony.

To do this in the UK you must give at least 29 days notice at your local register office (https://www.devon.gov.uk/registration-service/marriages-and-civil-partnerships/). It’s only valid for 12 months so you must complete your legal ceremony within 12 months of giving notice. You can only give notice at a registered office if you have lived in the registration district for at least seven days.

You must be:

single, divorced, or widowed;
over 16 vears old
not related to one another
If you’re under 18 years old in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland you will need parental permission
On the day of the legal ceremony, two witnesses must be present

The government guide to marriages and civil partnerships has more information on the application process. Some registry offices will be busier than others and you may have to wait for an appointment so it’s best to sort this out sooner rather than later.

The Process

You must give at least 29 days notice at your local register office. You must have lived in the district for at least seven days. It’s only valid for 12 months.

What Documents Do I Need?

Your local council website will tell you exactly what you need to take to your appointment but as a general rule you will need to take the following to the local registry office of the district that you intend to get married in:

Proof of name (e.g. valid passport)

Proof of age (e.g. birth certificate)

Proof of any name changes

Proof of nationality (e.g. valid passport, national identity card)

Proof of address (e.g. valid driving licence, recent utility bill, etc.)

A decree absolute or final order (if applicable)

The death certificate of your former partner (if applicable)

Entry visa (if applicable)

Details of where and when you intend to get married.

If you’ve changed your name, been married before or you’re not a British national then you will need extra documents. Your council utility bills have to be dated from the past 3 months and bank statements have to be dated from the past month.

If you or your partner are from outside the UK or Ireland

We have couples Eloping to Devon from all around the world. Here is some information for you…

Marriage Visitor Visa

To come to the UK for your elopement, you will need to apply for a Marriage Visitor Visa.

This government guide to marriages and partnerships has more information on visa requirements – https://www.gov.uk/come-uk-married

Give notice

You must sign a legal statement at your local register office to say you intend to get married or form a civil partnership. This is known as ‘giving notice’.

You must give notice at least 29 days before your ceremony.

For example, if you give notice on 1 May, the earliest date you can get married or form a civil partnership is 30 May.

You must hold your ceremony within 12 months of ‘giving notice’.

Where to give notice

You usually need to make an appointment to give notice at your local register office. (Mid Devon is the closest to us). You must have lived in that registration district for the past 7 days.

You and your partner will need to give notice separately if you live in different registration districts. You do not have to do this on the same day.

How much does it cost?

As a general guideline, you can find some of your costs listed here.

The Marriage Visitor Visa costs 115gbp to apply.

The cost of a registrar is 46gbp at a register office

Marriage certificate costs 11gbp

If you’ve had a divorce you’ll have to pay a fee of about 5gbp

Can I Have My Wedding Outdoors Anvwhere? eg. On The Beach or In My Back Garden?

Yes, vou can!

Having a Celebrant-led Wedding Ceremony with us, outdoors (or indoors) is all about FREEDOM. You will be able to have your wedding anywhere you want eg. beaches, caves, clifftops, forests, woodland, meadows, at any time of the day or night, (not just between 8am and 6pm). You won’t have to worry about choosing any of these options above, (unless you are legalising your marriage, then it’s usually just the first one). If you have your simple, stress-free elopement or small wedding ceremony with us, your wedding will not have any Government rules, regulations or restrictions placed on your venue, wording, vows, music, readings or length of your ceremony.

THIS is your Wedding ceremony, this is the time where you make your heartfelt vows to each other.

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