Marriage and civil ceremonies

First of all, congratulations!

On these pages, you’ll find everything you need to know to arrange your ceremony, including the documents you’ll need, arranging witnesses, and finding a licensed venue.

Find a venue for your ceremony

Legal requirements

You can get married or form a civil partnership if you are:

Over the age of 18
Not already married or in a civil partnership
Not closely related

A couple has a legal requirement to attend their local register office in the district where they live between 12 months and 28 days of their ceremony to give notice of marriage or civil partnership.

If you are marrying out of the district or abroad and live in North East Lincolnshire you will need to call the office direct to arrange an appointment on 01472 326295 (option 2).

Documents

You will need to provide:

Valid British/EU Passport or Birth Certificate (if you were born after 1 January 1983 and don’t have a valid passport, you must provide your birth certificate and your mother’s birth certificate or valid passport)
UK driving licence, utility bill, bank/Mortgage statement, Council Tax Bill or current residential tenancy agreement. This must correspond with your current address and name
If you are not a British Citizen additional documentation may be required

You may need to bring originals of:

Decree absolute/final order (must be in English – you will be charged an additional fee if your divorce took place outside of England and Wales
Any previous marriage certificates which show changes of names or marital status
Death certificate of late spouse
Change of name deed or statutory declaration

Photocopies will not be accepted.

Witnesses

Your two witnesses can be a relative or a friend, but they must be over the age of 16. They must also be able to understand and hear the words said as they will then be required to sign to confirm they have witnessed your ceremony.

Booking your ceremony

If you are planning to marry in North East Lincolnshire you can now check availability and book your ceremony online.

Ceremonies are available to book Tuesday to Sunday including Bank Holiday Monday’s at various set times here in North East Lincolnshire. A non-refundable booking fee of £57.50 is required to secure your ceremony date/time.

If a ceremony is required within the next 90 days, or if you are planning a civil partnership or statutory marriage, then these will need to be booked by calling the office direct on 01472 326295 (option 2).

View the full terms and conditions (Word, 137KB)

Check availability and book

Registrar Ceremonies FAQ

Yes – a ceremony – either marriage or civil partnership which is conducted by a Registrar is legally binding.

Yes – there are certain words which you have to say – these are called the Declaratory and Contracting words, but you do get to choose which version you wish to say.

Yes. Depending upon the type of ceremony you book, you can include personal vows and readings although these cannot contain any religious elements.

No – the Registrar will guide you through the necessary wording in very small chunks – i.e. 2 or 3 words at a time.

Yes – if it is not a religious hymn or prayer.

If you wish to meet with the Registrar or discuss the logistics of the ceremony prior to the day, then this can be accommodated.

Once the ceremony has taken place, the event is electronically registered, a marriage/civil partnership certificate can then be purchased. This certificate can be used as evidence of the marriage/civil partnership and further copies can be purchased if necessary.

There is no time limit for requesting certificates and copies can be purchased years later if required.

You will need to have a minimum of 2 witnesses but there is the option to have up to 4 (depending upon the venue)

Yes, you can involve your children – some couples chose to do this by asking them to do a reading or by presenting the rings.

No – there are many different venues that are licenced for Marriage ceremonies. Each local authority will be able to provide a list of approved premises.

The Registrars are very experienced and will be completely focused on your ceremony and not the ones before or after. We allow plenty of time to ensure that couples do not feel rushed.

Yes, as long as the venue has a licence and the outdoor area has been approved as suitable.

Public notices

Contact details

01472 326295
Certificate Enquiries: [email protected]
Ceremony Enquiries: [email protected]
North East Lincolnshire Register Office, Cleethorpes Town Hall, Knoll Street, Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, DN35 8LN