Ceremonies at Leeds Town Hall

A person who is housebound is able to marry in their own home or in a hospital. A doctor must be prepared to sign a statement that the person is not able to be moved for a period of 3 months to a place normally registered for marriage. The statement form can be obtained from your local Register Office and must be signed not more than 14 days before giving notice. Notice of marriage must be given in the district/s of residence of both parties. In the case of the housebound person the notice will have to be taken at home, which will incur an extra fee on top of the usual notice fee. The marriage must take place within 3 months of giving the first notice.

A person who is terminally ill is able to marry in a house or hospital. In these circumstances a doctor must sign a letter confirming that he/she is in medical attendance on the person and that the person is terminally ill and not expected to recover. The letter must also state that the person cannot be moved to a place where marriages could normally take place and can fully understand the importance of the marriage ceremony. The marriage can take place once the Registrar General has issued the licence for the marriage. Where necessary this may be on the same day that the arrangements are made although the marriage must take place within one month of giving the notice. Only one notice is given under these circumstances.

​A marriage can take place in a prison as long as the prison authorities agree that the marriage can be performed there. This agreement must be in the form of a statement signed by the Prison Governor not more than 21 days before you give your notices of marriage. The person in prison must give their notice to the local Superintendent Registrar. As the registrar will normally have to visit the prison in order to take the notice, this will attract an additional statutory fee. The other party to the marriage will also have to give a notice to the registrar of the district in which they live. The marriage, which can be civil or religious, must take place within 3 months of giving the first notice.

​You should first check with the authorities of the country in which you are getting married as to what legal preliminaries for your marriage are needed. Some countries require you to give notice of marriage in this country and to produce a certificate of no impediment in order for your marriage to go ahead. However, this facility exists only in certain circumstances.

Where two British subjects are getting married in a foreign country and both live in England and Wales, notice of marriage must be given by both parties in the district/s in which they have lived for the 7 clear days before giving notice. The informal Certificates of No Impediment can be issued 15 clear days after the date on which the notices were given.

There is no facility for giving notice of marriage where two British subjects are getting married in a British Commonwealth country.
If a British subject is getting married to a foreign national in a foreign country notice can be given under the provisions of the Marriage with Foreigners Act. This facility requires the British subject to give notice of marriage in the district, in England and Wales, in which they have lived for three weeks before giving notice. Only one notice of marriage is given and a Certificate of No Impediment can be issued 21 clear days after the notice.

If you are not sure whether you are able to give notice of marriage, or your circumstances are different from those outlined above you should contact us on 0113 2224408.
If possible, you should register your marriage with the British authorities in the country in which you get married. This means that you can then obtain a copy of your marriage certificate in this country if you ever need one in the future.

Church of England or Wales
If you wish to marry in a Church of England or Wales you must normally either live in the parish or worship at the church. You should first speak to the Vicar as there is usually no need to involve the Superintendent Registrar. If the Register Office does need to be contacted the vicar will advise you.

Jewish marriage
Persons of the Jewish religion are able to marry in a private house, hotel or even outside in a garden as long as the marriage is to be conducted according to Jewish religious rites and both parties are of the Jewish faith. The marriage can take place at any time and does not have to be within the usual hours for marriage which are 8am and 6pm.

Other places of religious worship
If you choose to get married according to any other religious rites, the church or religious building must normally be located within the registration district where you or your partner lives. You can only be married in a building in a different district to where you both live if either of you go to worship in that building. You may also get married in another district if there is no building of your religion in the district where you or the person you are marrying, lives.
The ceremony will be conducted by a Minister or other religious leader although a registrar must also be present at the wedding unless an Authorised Person has been appointed by the church to register its marriages instead of the registrar. There will be a fee payable for the attendance of the registrar.
After having arranged your wedding at the church or religious building you must contact the Register Office if a registrar is to register your wedding to ensure that you can be married on the day and at the time you have chosen. You will also need to give a formal notice of marriage.