Doing the legals before a celebrant ceremony
Photographer Scott Stockwell
So, how do you ensure that you are taking care of all of the legal requirements?
Currently, in England and Wales, celebrants are unable to deliver legally binding marriage ceremonies. Change is afoot but, in the meantime, this is what you will need to do.
Firstly, you will need to contact your local registration service. Ask to discuss a 2 plus 2 ceremony. A 2 plus 2 costs around £68.50 (with some services charging slightly less). You are required to give notice at least 29 days before the 2 plus 2 ceremony and you will have to pay a statutory notice fee of £42 each. In Bristol, for example, the legal element costs are £42 + £42 (statutory notice fee x2) + £68.50 which equals £152.50.
You can ask two of your best friends or precious family members (siblings, parents, aunts, uncles) to bear witness. This can be anybody who has the capacity to understand what the legalities entail. Some services will allow children over the age of 13 to be a witness as long as they are able to fully understand the role they are taking in the ceremony.
Your witnesses must be able to speak and understand English in order to fulfil their role. If the marriage was challenged or deemed illegitimate / never happened, the witnesses need to be able to stand up in a court of law and say that they heard those vows spoken and that they witnessed the couple make those vows. When the witnesses sign the schedule, this is what they are signing to say that they witnessed and understood what the couple were saying to one another.
During this very intimate ceremony, you will enter into the verbal marriage contract all legal weddings feature. You will state the declaratory words and the contracting words (see below). You will get a choice of which wording you’d like to use from a selection of three for each. The registrar will add some lovely wording around the ceremony but this will be a standard script used for all couples. You can also exchange rings if you wish but this is optional in all legal marriage ceremonies.
Declaration of freedom wording:
Option 1:
I do solemnly declare that I know not of any lawful impediment why I… may not be joined in matrimony to…
Option 2:
I declare that I know of no legal reason why I… many not be joined in marriage to…
Option 3:
Are you… free lawfully to marry…
State “I am.” if you agree.
Contract of marriage wording:
Option 1:
I call upon these persons here present to witness that I… do take thee… to be my lawful wedded husband / wife.
Option 2:
I… take you… to be my wedded husband / wife.
Option 3:
I… take thee… to be my wedded husband / wife.
You need to take into consideration that 2 plus 2 ceremonies are only available from Monday to Friday.
It is highly recommended that couples take care of the legal elements before their celebrant-led wedding. A registrar will ask you if you have ever been through any form of marriage or civil partnership before in this or any other country. If you have the celebrant-led ceremony before the legal marriage, you are in a grey area. A celebrant-led wedding ceremony is a form of ceremony so it is best to take care of the legals in advance of your wedding day celebration.
If either parties are not UK citizens then the couple will need to give notice involving the Home Office and this increases the statutory notice fee for that party to £57.
Prices can vary from county to county so it is best to do your research.
It is actually quite a simple process which will allow you both to go on and have the wedding ceremony you want to have with all of the bespoke elements a celebrant can deliver.
If you would like to discuss your celebrant-led wedding ceremony, please do get in touch.