Church in Wales
If you decide to be married in a church belonging to the Church in Wales then you should contact the vicar of that church who can advise you on the process.
In general, the presence of a Registrar is not required at marriages conducted in a Church in Wales building.
- Prior to the marriage service, the vicar will usually arrange for banns to be read or a common licence to be issued. This will begin the process that will eventually allow the marriage to take place.
However, in certain situations notices of marriage may need to be entered at the register office instead if, for example you or your partner are not a relevant national (i.e. someone who is not British, Irish or has EU settled or pre-settled status).
Chapels and other Religious Buildings
If you are getting married in a chapel or religious building licensed for marriages, excluding a Church in Wales building, you will need to arrange the attendance of a minister etc to conduct the marriage service (this is usually done via your chosen chapel or religious building).
Additionally, the presence of a Registrar is usually required to legally register marriages held at chapels, registered buildings and certain churches. If in any doubt, please contact us for advice.
To enable the marriage to proceed, you and your partner will need to undertake the legal preliminaries by entering your notices of marriage at a register office.
For guidance on how to arrange your marriage service and book the attendance of Registrars, please consider the information contained in our step-by-step plan.