Getting married at the Register Office

 

If you want a Civil Ceremony then you need to contact the Superintendent Registrar of the district where you live. You will need to give Notice of Marriage, in person to the Superintendent Registrar of your district. We advise that you do this at least four weeks before you are due to marry. If you live in Dudley Borough and want to get married in the Borough you can give Notice at either Dudley or Stourbridge to make an appointment to give your Notice and make a provisional booking for your wedding.

 

 

Although legally a notice is displayed on the Register Office notice board for 15 clear days after the day it is given, theoretically it is possible for a couple to be married on the 17th day (excluding Sundays, Bank Holidays etc.). In practice it is, often unrealistic for a couple to expect to be married in less than four weeks, especially where different registration districts are involved.

 

Superintendent Registrars (including Dudley's) will not usually make provisional bookings for couples who are not free to marry (i.e. waiting for decree absolutes) because neither of them can give a notice of marriage until both parties are free to marry.

 

If you want to marry at a Civil venue which is not in the registration district where you live the Superintendent Registrar at the Register Office where you book your marriage will advise you how to proceed with giving your legal notices of marriage to the Superintendent Registrar of the District in which you live.

 

A notice of marriage can be given up to 12 months in advance of the marriage date. And the notice is valid for 12 months from the date it is given, so a couple could change the date of their marriage provided both notices are in date on the day of the marriage. However, they may only get married at the venue stated on the notice. A change of mind on where they want to be married means starting all over again.

 

If you wish to change the date or time of a ceremony you have already booked within the Dudley Borough there will be an administration fee of £20 payable.