Religious Marriages/Civil Marriages/Civil Partnerships
Religious/Civil Marriages
Legal Requirements
To marry in Northern Ireland, you and your partner must be:
- aged 18 or above on the day of your wedding (consent is needed if either of you is aged 16 or 17)
- unrelated to one another in a way that would prevent you from getting married
- free to marry, for example, neither of you is already a civil partner or legally married
- of a different sex.
To make sure both parties meet these criteria, you must complete a marriage notice form, and supply the other necessary documents needed to get married, before your ceremony can take place. These should be returned to the Registrar's office in the district where you plan to marry.
Documents required for Marriage
Before you can get married you and your partner need to produce certain documents. Each partner must also fill out a marriage notice form to help the Registrar collect information about your ceremony and prepare your details for registration.
All relevant documents, notice forms and fees must be submitted to the Registrar before a wedding can take place.
To get application forms either contact the Registrar or download forms from http://www.groni.gov.uk/index.htm
Notice must be given within 12 months of your wedding date and no later than 14 days before your ceremony.
Notice forms should be returned to the Registrar of the district in which you intend to marry, along with the relevant documents (listed below) and fees.
You do not have to make an appointment, however, your forms should be submitted about eight weeks before your ceremony. If you or your partner have been married previously, forms should be returned ten weeks beforehand.
If you are having a religious ceremony, you should speak to your officiant before filling out your marriage notice forms as s/he will need to sign them.
Documents Required
These should be provided by both you and your partner when returning your marriage notice forms:
- your full (long version) birth certificate (authorised photocopies are not acceptable)
- your passport or national identity card - the Registrar can advise on alternatives if you do not hold either of these
- a consent form (if you aged 16 or 17) - these are available from the Registrar
- if you have been married before and the marriage was dissolved, a certificate of divorce or annulment or a certified copy decree (decrees must be absolute or final)
If you have been married more than once, only the documents for your most recent marriage are required - if you have entered into a civil partnership before, a court order of dissolution for that partnership
- if you are a widow, widower or surviving civil partner, the death certificate of your former spouse or civil partner.
More information about each of these documents is available from the guidance notes which accompany your marriage notice form
If you have been divorced outside the UK or the Republic of Ireland, you must also fill in a foreign divorce form which you can obtain from the Registrar's Office.
Don't delay submitting your notice forms to the Registrar because you don't have the relevant documents - it is better to give notice first and then return any outstanding documents at a later date.
Religious Marriages
All religious denominations must complete Marriage Notice Applications forms approximately 8-10 weeks before their wedding and these forms along with the appropriate documents (see above) must be returned to the Registrar's Office in the district were the wedding is to take place.
If you are having a religious ceremony, you should speak to your officiant before filling out your marriage notice forms as s/he will need to sign them.
To get application forms either contact the Registrar or download forms from http://www.groni.gov.uk/index.htm
Civil Marriages
If you are planning on having a civil marriage you should make advance arrangements with the Registrar to see if the Registrar is available.
The following venues have been approved for Civil Marriages
Council Offices, Cookstown
Glenavon House Hotel, Cookstown
Greenvale Hotel, Cookstown
Hanover House, Coagh, Cookstown
The Royal Hotel, Cookstown
Springhill House, National Trust Property, Moneymore
Tullylagan Country House Hotel, Cookstown
Civil Partnerships
Legal Requirements
Any two people, regardless of where they live , can register a civil partnership in Northern Ireland, provided that they are:
- the same sex
- aged 18 or above on the day of your ceremony (consent is needed if either of you is aged 16 or 17)
- unrelated to one another in a way that would prevent you from forming a civil partnership
- free to marry, for example, neither of you is already a civil partner or legally married.
To make sure both parties meet these criteria, you must complete a civil partnership notice form, and supply the other necessary documents needed, before your ceremony can take place. These should be returned to the Registrar's office in the district where you plan to form your partnership.
Documents Required
These should be provided by both you and your partner when returning your notice forms:
- your full (long version) birth certificate (authorised photocopies are not acceptable)
- your passport or national identity card - the Registrar can advise on alternatives if you do not hold either of these
- a consent form (if you aged 16 or 17) - these are available from the Registrar
- if you have entered into a civil partnership before, a court order of dissolution for that partnership
- if you have been married before and the marriage was dissolved, a certificate of divorce or annulment or a certified copy decree (decrees must be absolute or final)
If you have been married more than once, only the documents for your most recent marriage are required - if you are a widow, widower or surviving civil partner, the death certificate of your former spouse or civil partner.
More information about each of these documents is available from the guidance notes which accompany your civil partnership notice form (see above).
The following venues have been approved for Civil Partnerships
Council Offices, Cookstown
Glenavon House Hotel, Cookstown
Greenvale Hotel, Cookstown
Hanover House, Coagh, Cookstown
Springhill House, National Trust Property, Moneymore
Bookings for a Registrar to attend a Civil Marriage/Partnership Ceremony should be made as soon as possible
Further information can be obtained from GRO marriage-and-registration
