Give notice

Giving notice is a legal requirement and involves attending an appointment at a register office. At the appointment you will declare:

• who you intend to marry or form a civil partnership with
• where the ceremony will take place
• that you are legally free to get married or form a civil partnership

When and where to give notice

You must give notice at least 29 days before the ceremony. In certain cases, depending on your immigration status, this may be extended to 71 days. 

You must have been resident in the district covered by that register office for at least the previous 7 days. You must give notice at the registration office in the district you live in. If you and your partner live in different registration districts, you must each give notice separately. For more information on residency, please contact the registration service. 

We recommend you give notice no sooner than 10 months before and no later than 2 months before.

Registration service

Email: registration.service@cumberland.gov.uk
Telephone: 0300 373 3730

Book an appointment to give notice

Once you have planned your ceremony, you should book an appointment. We recommend you give notice no more than 12 weeks before the date of your ceremony.

Book notice of marriage

Book notice of civil partnership

Notices are specific to a particular venue and only valid for 12 months. This means you will not be able to make an appointment more than 12 months ahead of your ceremony date. You can also see all of the registration service fees, including the cost of booking a notice appointment.

Situations where you will need advice

You will need some specialist guidance from us if:
 

• either of you are not currently legally free to get married or form a civil partnership
• either of you have been related to each other by blood, marriage, adoption, civil partnership or surrogacy
• you have not yet made a provisional booking for your ceremony 
• either of you lives outside England or Wales 
• your ceremony is to take place outside England or Wales 
• either person is subject to immigration control 
• you require a ceremony to take place in less than 28 days for critical reasons 
• you ceremony is to take place in a religious building

Registration service

Email: registration.service@cumberland.gov.uk
Telephone: 0300 373 3730

Getting married abroad

Visit GOV.UK's getting married abroad webpage to find out where to get advice about local marriage laws and what documents you will need.