The procedure for registering your marriage differs greatly depending on where you are in the world. Check the steps with your local government and do this as early as you possibly can! If there are any problems with registering the marriage, you will want to get these sorted as soon as possible. The worst case scenario for your wedding would be to find out that you are unable to get married after spending months of organising vendors and inviting guests. Hence the reason you should make contact with your local registrar as soon as possible. Your officiant may be able to provide some advice with this.
Here are some of the things you should ask:
- Notice period(how far in advance do I need to register the marriage?)
- What documents do I need to provide?
- Do I need to provide the location of the marriage ceremony?
- Getting married overseas? (does this complicate the process?)
- How much does it cost to register the marriage?
- Are both you and your fiancé citizens in the country in which you are registering the marriage? (does this cause any problems? Will you need to provide additional documentation?)
- The vows. What wording is necessary? What wording can be added?
- How many witnesses are needed? Criteria for witnesses?
Make sure to check the specific rules for your local area. This is one area of your wedding planning that you need to get right so take some time to read through any available documentation to guide you through this(I know….it’s a pretty monotonous task). Sometimes the best approach is just to call your local registrar and inform them that you are getting married and they will provide guidance on the next steps to take.