Registering a religious marriage or civil partnership

You may want to get married or form a civil partnership in a church or religious building.

Not all religious organisations offer civil partnerships or same sex marriages. You cannot form a civil partnership in a Church of England (Anglican) church or Roman Catholic church, for instance. You should check with your place of worship.

An authorised person, such as a religious minister, must attend the ceremony.

If the venue does not have an authorised person, you'll need to book a registrar. This costs £104.

If you're marrying in a non-Church of England church or another religious building, you'll need to give notice before your marriage or civil partnership, as you would in a register office or licensed venue.

If you're marrying in a Church of England church, you do not need to give notice as your banns, or intention to marry, will be read out in your church(es) a few weeks before your marriage.

At your marriage ceremony, the person conducting the ceremony will sign either the:

• marriage schedule (for all non-Church of England denominations)
• marriage document (if it is a Church of England marriage)

The marriage document or marriage schedule must be checked and signed by you and the witnesses at the ceremony.

If you're marrying or forming a civil partnership in a non-Church of England church or another religious building, we'll issue your marriage schedule after your notice appointment.

If you're marrying in a Church of England church, the church will issue your marriage document.

After the ceremony, you must take your marriage document or marriage schedule to Beaconsfield Old Town Registration Office so we can register your marriage.

We are not able to produce the marriage certificate until we receive this.

You must pay the Registration Service for each marriage certificate. The fee is £12.50 per certificate.

You can order marriage certificates in advance. We'll send these out to you within 7 working days of receipt of the marriage schedule or document.