Marriage - Arrangement and Ceremony
We will help make your day special.
Not only are we here to guide you through the legal requirements ensuring that your wedding is carried out within the law, we also aim to make your ceremony personal to you.
From the simple dignity of Lambeth Register Office to the futuristic, breathtaking experience of being married on the London Eye - the choice is yours.
Making a booking
You must first contact the district or venue where you wish to get married and make a provisional booking for your chosen date.
After this you should then give a notice of your intention to marry in the district in which you live.
A notice of marriage is valid for one year, but it is advisable to make a booking for your marriage as soon as you can, particularly if you intend to be married in one of our approved premises.
Provisional booking
In Lambeth we have a provisional booking system which will allow you to book your wedding up to two years in advance of the date. This will allow you to make all the necessary arrangements including that of your reception in good time.
A provisional booking may be made by either writing, or by personal attendance at the office.
If you are booking more than one year in advance, you will need to give your legal notice of marriage at the appropriate time to confirm booking.
Legal preliminaries to marriage
You may marry at any Register Office or Approved Premises of your choice in England and Wales.
Legal notice of marriage
Both parties to the marriage are required to give their notice of intention to marry to the Superintendent Registrar of the district in which they have had their usual residence for the preceding seven days.
If both parties to the marriage live in Lambeth, both should be present to give separate notices.
Once the notices have been entered in the marriage notice book, fifteen clear days must pass before the Superintendent Registrar's authority may be issued and the marriage allowed to take place.
Make an appointment
You will need to make an appointment to give notice of your intention to marry.
We offer appointments Monday to Friday, from 9am to 3.30pm. Please note that the Register Office is closed on the first Wednesday of every month until 1pm.
Please call us on 020 7926 9420 to make an appointment.
Fee
The statutory fee for giving notice of marriage is £30.00 per person which is payable on the day the notice is given.
Documents you need to show us
Please bring with you:
- evidence of nationality (a passport is ideal)
- proof of your address
- evidence of the termination of your previous marriage if you have been married before.
Proof of identity and nationality
When giving notice you will need to provide proof of your identity and nationality.
Passports are ideal for proving your identity, but if you do not have a current valid passport we will advise you as to what other forms of identity are acceptable.
It would also be helpful if you could bring with you proof of your present address.
Because of changes to immigration laws, those parties subject to immigration control wishing to give notice to marry or form a civil partnership must do so at a specially designated register office, such as Lambeth Register Office.
Persons under immigration control can go to any designated register office but they must attend with their partner.
A person is subject to immigration control if he/she requires leave to enter or remain in the UK. Effectively this applies to all nationals of a foreign country i.e. a non-European Economic Area country.
EEA countries are those listed below. Nationals from these countries are NOT subject to immigration control.
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Irish Republic, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland*, United Kingdom
*Switzerland is NOT an EEA country but Swiss nationals have the same free movement as EEA nationals
From 01 February 2005 any person subject to immigration control will not be able to give notice of intention to marry unless;
- They have an entry clearance granted expressly for the purpose of marriage in the UK; (e.g. fiancé(e), marriage visitor or partnership visa)
- OR they have the written permission of the Secretary of State to marry in the UK – this will take the form of a certificate of approval which can be obtained from the Immigration and Nationality Department;
- OR they fall within a class of persons specified by the Secretary of State. (i.e. they have indefinite leave to remain in the UK in the form of a passport endorsement)
Married before
If you have been married before and divorced you will need to show a decree absolute of divorce bearing the courts original stamp.
If your husband or wife died we will need to see a certified copy of their death certificate.
Change of name
If you have ever changed your name by Deed Poll, Change of Name Deed or by Statutory Declaration, the documents will need to be shown.
Under eighteen
If either of you is under eighteen, we will need your parents or guardians consent to the marriage.
If your parents are divorced we may need to see court orders. The Superintendent Registrar will advise you.
Personalising your ceremony
Once you have given your notice of marriage, we can give you a copy of the marriage ceremony.
Now is the chance for you to make this the perfect ceremony for you both!
We can offer you a choice of vows and readings or you may wish to add some of your own. If you do so we will need to approve them in advance.
Any readings will be by a guest, the bride or groom and we can advise you as to their place within the ceremony.
Please remember, any readings, music or vows must not have any religious connotation.
Lambeth's Register Office
The Register Office ceremony
Marriage ceremonies are held here from Monday to Saturday, mornings and afternoons.
Background music is played whilst your guests are assembling and during the signing of the register. If you wish to choose your own music, you may bring your own CD.
You may wish to say extra vows to one another or ask a guest to give a reading.
It is important that any music, readings or vows do not have any religious connotation. These must be approved by the Superintendent Registrar before the wedding.
Approved premises
Lambeth is fortunate with its central location from the South Bank of the River Thames to have such a wide variety of premises for you to choose from, including the British Airways London Eye and The Brit Insurance Oval. See marriage - approved premises for full details.
Getting married in a church or other religious building
If you are planning a church wedding you must first have the permission of the minister or governing body before you can make any other arrangements.
Church of England
If you wish to be married in the Church of England generally you will only be able to do so if you or your partner live in the parish. You should first speak to the Vicar.
If he is able to marry you, he will arrange for Banns to be called on three Sundays before the day of your ceremony or for a common licence to be issued and there is normally no need to involve the Superintendent Registrar.
Other church or religious building
If you are getting married in any other church or religious building you will need to give a notice of marriage to the Superintendent Registrar of the district in which you reside.
Some churches, but not the Church of England, require the attendance of a Registrar at a wedding whereas some others have their own Registrar (an Authorised Person). If you need a Registrar from this office to attend your wedding you should book this with us as far in advance as possible.
Who to contact
Any member of the Register Office team will be happy to help you.
Register Office
Lambeth Town Hall
Brixton Hill
SW2 1RW
Phone: 020 7926 9420
Email: registeroffice@lambeth.gov.uk