After you give notice

Notice is displayed

• After notice has been given, it is a legal requirement that the notice is available for public view in the Register Office, and a statutory waiting period of 28 full days is observed before a ceremony can take place in England and Wales.
• There should be at least 30 days between the date of your notice appointment and the date of your ceremony. If the 30th day falls on a weekend / bank holiday, relevant paperwork should be available on the next working day; however, it may not be available until the second working day.
• You must ensure that you leave sufficient time between giving notice and the ceremony date.
• The registrar will advise you if you need to collect any paperwork from the register office at the end of the notice period. In most cases this will be sent electronically and you will not be required to attend. 

Divorce or Dissolution

• If either of you have a foreign divorce or dissolution it may be necessary for further investigations to be made to verify your documents, which could take some time to complete. Your marriage or civil partnership cannot take place until clearance has been granted by the General Register Office.
• If you choose to make a booking, or any other arrangements for your ceremony, before your documents have been cleared, neither the Register Office, nor the General Register Office, would accept liability if the ceremony could not go ahead. 

Given Notice of Marriage outside of the Borough

• If you are getting married in the borough and either of you have given notice elsewhere, then we will be able to issue your paperwork electronically and you will not need to collect or deliver any paperwork to us prior to your ceremony.

Given Notice of Marriage within the Borough

• If you gave your notice(s) at Richmond upon Thames Register Office, we will have responsibility for issuing your ‘Certificate(s) for Marriage’ and therefore you will not have to collect / deliver them to us.

Given Notice of Civil Partnership

• If you are forming a civil partnership, the district where your formation / ceremony will take place can access the ‘Civil Partnership Schedule’ after the statutory waiting period has been fulfilled. This is the legal relevant document required for a civil partnership.
• You will not need to return to the Register Office where notice was given to collect any documents.

About the Notice

• If you are being married, or forming a civil partnership, within England and Wales, your notice is valid for twelve months from the date notice has been given.
• Your notice, and the certificate(s) issued will be valid for a ceremony at the venue stated, and not for any other venue. If you have to change your ceremony venue, then you must give fresh notice, pay the statutory fee and fulfil the necessary statutory waiting period again.
• Your certificate cannot be issued until the appropriate statutory waiting period has been fulfilled. If you and your partner are giving notice on separate days, your certificate cannot be issued until they have given their notice.
• Once your certificate has been issued, it cannot be changed or altered in any way.