If a notice has been given prior to the 4 May 2021, but the marriage is after implementation will I keep a marriage register or use a marriage schedule?
Any marriage that takes place on or after 4 May 2021 will require a marriage schedule to record the details of the marriage. All marriage registers will be closed from 4 May 2021.
Do the eligibility/residency requirements also change from 4 May 2021?
No, the processes for determining whether a couple meet the requirements for marrying after completion civil preliminaries are unchanged.
Do we still need to refer couples to give notice at a designated register office if they are subject to immigration rules?
Yes, it is only the registration of the marriage that is changing. Couples who are subject to immigration rules are still required to give their notices at a designated register office.
What happens when a couple have already given civil preliminaries (notice of marriage) for a marriage at your registered building?
The Local Registration Service (LRS) will issue a marriage schedule in lieu of the Superintendent Registrars Certificates, and the couple will take it to the registered building for the authorised person to check the details prior to the ceremony. Local arrangements may be in place with the registered building to receive the paperwork direct, for those couples who are subject to immigration referral.
Is the marriage schedule a legal document?
Yes, a marriage schedule is required by the Marriage Act 1949 and the format of the form will be prescribed in regulations
Are the details for the marriage schedule the same as current marriage registers?
No, the legislation has introduced some changes in the registration details. Each party to the marriage may include up to 4 parents each on the marriage schedule i.e. mother, father or parent. The dates of birth will be recorded in the marriage schedule and registration rather than ages of the couple.
What happens if the marriage schedule is lost or damaged prior to the registration?
Where the Registrar General is satisfied that a marriage has been solemnized but the marriage schedule has been lost or destroyed before the marriage has been registered, the marriage schedule can be reproduced, and arrangements made for relevant parties to sign the replacement schedule.
Are Authorised Persons required to copy and retain the marriage schedule?
No, there is no requirement for you to retain any copies of marriage schedule. The schedule will be submitted to the register office, who will register the event and retain the signed documentation.
In terms of parent details could it be neither Mother/Father/Parent recorded e.g.: grandfather?
No, only those who have a legal position as a mother, father or parent may be recorded. Or a step-parent who is or was legally married to the mother, father or parent. In deciding who to include in the entry it should be recognised that this may be a sensitive area for the couple.
What order should the mother, father, parents be entered on the marriage schedule?
The order in which parents are entered on the marriage schedule, and will appear in the registration, is the choice of the relevant party to the marriage.
Do all parent details need to be included?
It is the choice of the relevant party It is not mandatory to record details in space 7 of the marriage schedule. However, a maximum of 4 per party to the marriage may be entered.
Will there be a transitional period for those already given notice?
If a couple are getting married on or after implementation date they will marry by schedule. Our systems will provide the means to issue a schedule even for those who gave notice before implementation and whose certificate for marriage has already been issued. Those giving notice before implementation will not be able to provide their mother or parent information as this opportunity will only come into force on or after 4 May 2021. The General Register Office will provide advice shortly on how to advise couples and obtain this information in advance of the marriage.
Current certificates going out to Authorised Persons have Instructions/Notes on the back – will these be replicated on a Schedule?
Yes, AP notes will be included on the reverse of the schedule.
Designated Notices (i.e. where one or both parties to the marriage are subject to immigration control) – if schedule has to be collected by couple for marriage in registered building, can Authorised Person's expect to receive the photo template separately? Can the Authorised Person still collect the schedule and photo template?
Yes, the current arrangements for sending/arranging for the collection of the Photographs for religious marriage should be followed.
If no registration will take place on the day of the marriage, when are the couple legally married?
There is no change to the significance or legality of the ceremony by the rites of the denomination of the registered building, i.e. the couple are legally married upon the words of declaration and contract. The registration is a record of the event.
If there are no marriage registers how will the marriage be registered?
The information from the completed, signed marriage schedule will be entered onto the electronic marriage register by the Local Registration Service.
Will guidance be provided around the completion of the marriage schedule and capturing details and signatures?
Yes, the General Register Office will update the Guidebook for Authorised Persons and provide training material prior to the implementation date of 4 May 2021.
What will happen in the marriage service where the couple currently sign the registers?
You may still invite the couple and witnesses to sign the marriage schedule in the same way they would have signed the marriage registers.
Up to six witnesses can be captured is the box large enough to capture this?
The legal requirement is for two witnesses to sign the schedule. However, if more than two witnesses do sign the schedule, up to six can be accommodated in the register. We would advise that as far as possible Authorised Persons should limit the number of witnesses to the two, which is the legal requirement.
Is registration ink to be used on the marriage schedule?
Yes, registration ink must be used.
Who is responsible for taking the completed marriage schedule to the register office after the marriage?
It is the responsibility of the authorised person to return the completed marriage schedule to the register office within 21 days of the marriage, for the registration to take place.
What if there is an error and we need to make an amendment to the schedule before the couple sign it?
You will have a duty to check the marriage schedule to ensure the details are still correct. This should be done when you carry out the pre marriage checks with the couple prior to the ceremony. If an amendment is required, you should check the details in the guidebook for Authorised Persons issued by the General Register Office which explains what details may be amended and how to carry amendments out before the couple sign the documentation.
Any errors that would not cause the marriage to be postponed would be manually corrected by the relevant party and then initialled by them at the time.
What do we need to do for weddings that have been booked to take place after the system changes?
It will be for each AP to decided locally how to advise the couples regarding the changes prior to the day of the marriage. Key points to consider: Option to record up to 4 Mother/Father/Parent details – as this may be contentious for some couples’ and time to consider the options ahead of the wedding day may be welcomed. They will not receive a certificate on the day of the marriage.
Who shall I return my registers and certificate stock to?
You will be contacted by your local register office with instructions and timings for the closure and return of your registers and certificate stock. There is also a closure instruction on the LRSA website.
Will marriage certificates issued for marriages after 4 May 2021 still look the same as they do now?
No, marriage certificates for marriages after 4 May will be in a new portrait format. Certificates for marriages that took place before 4 May will be issued in the existing landscape format, to reflect the registers that the details were recorded in.
After 4 May these will be issued by the local register office or the General Register Office.
Examples will be shown in the updated Guidebook for Authorised Persons.
Can I issue a certificate from the details on the marriage schedule on the day of the marriage?
No, from 4 May 2021 there will be no facility in law for you to issue a marriage certificate. All certificates will be issued by the Local Registration Service or the General Register Office. The certificate stock issued to you by the General Register Office will be returned. You will be provided with instructions and support to do this.
What if couple insist on having their certificate on the same day as their marriage?
Certificates cannot be issued until the marriage is registered on RON. Therefore, certificate production will follow the same process for either a civil or religious marriage once the document is returned to the register office and registered on RON. If couples require the certificate urgently, they should make prior arrangement and discuss options with the relevant office.
Can I still issue certificates from historic records in my registers?
No, from 4 May 2021 your registers will be closed, and you will not have a legal facility to issue marriage certificates, this includes from existing marriage register books.
If the registrar will issue the certificate after the registration, will this affect our fees?
Fees charged for a church wedding are a matter for the relevant authorities. There is no charge for registering the event by the register office. A certificate may be purchased for the appropriate fee from the register office or the General Register Office.
For marriages in Warrington, please advise your couples to order online through the Warrington Borough Council Website (www.warrington.gov.uk/certificates)
How long will a couple have to wait to obtain a marriage certificate?
The registration by the register office will be made by the 7th day after the marriage schedule is received at the register office. A certificate will be available after this time, though local arrangements for issuing of certificates will also be factored into the timescale.
What will happen in cases where a couple will have insufficient time to obtain a marriage certificate after their marriage, yet they may still require some proof of their marriage? For example, they may be travelling abroad on their honeymoon very soon after the marriage ceremony.
In these circumstances you may wish to complete and give them an Acknowledgement Form. This is a non-statutory form, which confirms the details of their marriage. However, the couple must be warned that it is not a marriage certificate and that as soon as practicably possible, they should obtain a marriage certificate from their local register office. An example of the Form of acknowledgement is in the Authorised Persons Guidebook.
If a couple wants a certificate from a marriage solemnised at a registered building 5 or 6 years ago what can we do?
If the certificate is for issue on or after 4 May 2021, the couple must contact the local register office or GRO to obtain the certified copy. You are not able to issue certificates from 4 May 2021.
Do I have to take the completed marriage schedule to the register office on the day of the marriage?
No, the law requires it must be delivered to the Local Registration Service within 21 days of the marriage schedule being signed.
Who is responsible for taking the completed marriage document to the register office after the marriage?
It is the responsibility of the authorised person to return the completed marriage schedule to the register office within 21 days of the marriage, for the registration to take place.
If I have outstanding quarterly returns, do I have to complete them?
Yes, you are required to complete all outstanding quarterly returns and submit them as per the current process for any marriages which take place up-to and including 3 May 2021. You will receive the appropriate fee.
Will I still need to complete quarterly returns after the implementation of marriage schedule system?
No, as you will no longer be registering the marriage, you are not required to complete quarterly returns for marriages taking place from 4 May 2021.
If the AP does not return the schedule to the RO after 21 days or more what will happen?
If you have not returned a marriage schedule as required, the registrar will issue a notice asking you to return the signed schedule within 8 days. If you still do not return the signed schedule, a further notice will be issued requiring you to attend the register office or to explain why the signed schedule has not been returned. Failure to comply with such a notice, without a reasonable excuse, will be an offence.
