Legal requirements for marriage

You can get married in a civil ceremony or a religious ceremony but legal requirements must be met.

You must give formal notice of your intention to marry before the ceremony can take place. Both parties must be aged 18 years or over on the day of the marriage.

The marriage ceremony must be conducted by a person or in the presence of a person authorised to register marriages in the district.

A marriage schedule must be signed at the ceremony by:

• both parties
• two witnesses
• the person who conducted the ceremony
• the person who is registering the marriage (only if the person conducting the ceremony is not authorised to register marriages).
• the marriage must later be registered on the electronic register prior to the issue of a marriage certificate.