Wedding rules

Marriage in England and Wales is between a man and a woman. Civil partnerships became available to same-sex couples in December 2005 and grant rights and responsibilities identical to civil marriage. Subject to a Consultation process, Same-Sex Civil Marriage will become legal in time for the 2015 general election.

There are residency conditions that have to be met before people can be married. If one of the people wanting to marry is subject to immigration control, notice of marriage can only be done at a designated register office, which both parties must attend together. The marriageable age is 16 with the consent of parents but 18 otherwise. Marriage must be between two people of opposite-sex neither of whom are in a Civil Partnership or separate marriage (foreign divorces are generally recognised, but existing foreign polygamous marriages prevent a marriage in the UK as this would be treated as bigamy).

Marriage rules

Marriages can either be conducted by "authorised celebrants" (usually, but not always, a minister of religion) or by an "authorised Registrar". Civil marriages may not take place in religious venues, but since the Marriage Act 1994 may take place in other licensed venues. The marriage register is signed by the couple, the celebrant and two witnesses.

Priests of the Church of England and the Church in Wales are legally required to marry people, providing one of them is from the local parish, regardless of whether the couple are practising. Special permission may be granted for out-of-parish weddings.

The Marriage Duty Acts of 1694 and 1695 required that banns or marriage licences must be obtained. The 1753 Act also laid down rules for where marriages were allowed to take place, whom you were and were not allowed to marry, required at least two witnesses to be present at the marriage ceremony and set a minimum marriageable age. This led to the practice of couples who could not meet the conditions in England and Wales eloping to Scotland.

For civil marriages, banns must be posted for fifteen days, at the appropriate register office. Church of England marriages require the banns to be read out three times at the appropriate church.

Parental permission is required for either party to a marriage who is less than 18 years old, but as long as they are at least 16 years old a lack of it does not necessarily invalidate the marriage.