Same-sex marriage is legal in all four nations of the UK. To get married you give notice to the registrar, wait at least 28 or 29 days depending on where you live, then hold a civil, religious or (in Scotland and Northern Ireland) belief ceremony in front of two witnesses. This guide takes you through each step for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with the documents you need and the choices you have along the way.
The short answer
- Same-sex couples can marry anywhere in the UK, in a civil ceremony or in a religious ceremony where the faith group has opted in.
- England and Wales: you each give notice at your local register office at least 29 days before the wedding.
- Scotland: you send marriage notice forms to the registrar where you will marry, at least 29 days before.
- Northern Ireland: you each send a notice form to the registrar where you will marry, at least 28 days before, and ideally 8 weeks.
- Notice lasts 12 months, so you can give it up to a year before the wedding.
- You need two witnesses on the day.
Is same-sex marriage legal in the UK?
Yes. Same-sex couples have been able to marry in England and Wales since March 2014, in Scotland since December 2014 and in Northern Ireland since January 2020. Our timeline of same-sex marriage in the UK covers how each law came in. Civil partnerships are still available too, and an existing civil partnership can be converted into a marriage, as our guide to converting a civil partnership to marriage explains.
Once you know the legal steps, our full planning guides for a gay wedding and a lesbian wedding cover everything else, from venues to vows.
How to get married in England and Wales
1. Choose where you will marry
A civil ceremony can take place at a register office or at any venue approved for marriages, such as a hotel, country house or barn. Book the venue and the registrars before you give notice, because the notice names the place where you will marry. Browse LGBTQ+ friendly wedding venues or search venues and suppliers across the UK.
2. Give notice of marriage
Each of you gives notice at the register office for the district where you live, at least 29 days before the ceremony. You must have lived in that district for the previous 7 days. If you live in different districts, you each give notice at your own register office. GOV.UK explains how to give notice of marriage.
Bring originals of:
- a valid passport or UK birth certificate (if you were born in the UK after 1 January 1983 and use a birth certificate, you also need evidence of your parents’ nationality)
- proof of your home address, such as a recent utility bill, bank statement, Council Tax bill or driving licence
- proof of any change of name
- details of your ceremony venue
- if you have been married or in a civil partnership before, your final order or decree absolute, or your former partner’s death certificate
If either of you is not a British or Irish citizen, the rules on documents and timing can be different, and you may need a visa to marry in the UK. Check the GOV.UK pages for your situation before you book a date.
3. Hold the ceremony within 12 months
Your notice is valid for 12 months. A civil ceremony is led by registrars and includes set legal words, which you say in front of two witnesses. You can add readings, music and your own vows, as long as nothing in a civil ceremony is religious.
4. Sign the marriage schedule
After the ceremony you, your witnesses and the registrar sign the marriage schedule, and the marriage is then registered. Order a few copies of the marriage certificate, as you will need them for any name changes.
Religious ceremonies
A religious marriage is possible where the faith group has chosen to marry same-sex couples and the place of worship is registered for it. The Church of England and the Church in Wales do not marry same-sex couples, although the Church of England allows prayers of blessing for same-sex couples within its regular services. Speak to the minister early, as registration of the building can take time.
Humanist and celebrant-led ceremonies
Humanist weddings are not yet legally binding in England and Wales. The government has said it intends to change the law, but until it does you need a short legal ceremony as well, either at the register office or with registrars at your venue. Many couples do the legal part a day or two before, then hold the ceremony they care about with a celebrant. Browse celebrants who work with same-sex couples.
How to get married in Scotland
In Scotland you each complete a marriage notice form, known as form M10, and send it to the registrar for the district where you will marry, not where you live. The forms must arrive at least 29 days before the wedding. The registrar then prepares the marriage schedule, which you collect before the ceremony and return afterwards so the marriage can be registered.
Scotland gives you more choice of ceremony than England and Wales. Civil, religious and belief ceremonies, including humanist ones, are all legally binding, and a belief or religious ceremony can take place in many settings, not only in a register office or place of worship. Same-sex couples can marry on the same terms as everyone else.
How to get married in Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland you each fill in a separate marriage notice form and send it, in person or by post, to the registrar for the council district where you will marry. The notices must arrive at least 28 days before the wedding, but the advice is to send them about 8 weeks before, or 10 weeks if either of you has been married or in a civil partnership before. The registrar may waive the 28 days only in exceptional circumstances. nidirect explains how and when to give notice of marriage.
Each of you needs your original passport and your full birth or adoption certificate, plus any divorce, dissolution or death certificate that applies. Humanist marriages are legally recognised in Northern Ireland, and religious same-sex marriages are possible where the faith group has opted in.
Marriage or civil partnership?
Both are open to same-sex couples across the UK, and both give you the same core legal protections. The differences are mostly in how they are formed: a marriage is made by saying set words, while a civil partnership is formed by signing the document, with no words required. Some couples prefer civil partnership because it has no religious history. If you are already civil partners and want to marry, you can usually convert your civil partnership rather than start again.
Marrying abroad
If you plan to marry overseas, check that the country allows same-sex marriage, whether it requires residency, and how the marriage will be recognised in the UK. Our list of countries where same-sex marriage is legal is a good first check, and our guide to the pros and cons of a destination wedding helps you weigh it up. Some couples marry at a UK register office and celebrate abroad.
After the wedding
Your marriage certificate is usually all you need to change your name on your passport, driving licence and bank accounts. It is also a good moment to update wills, pensions and insurance. If you want a honeymoon close to home, our sister travel company Out Of Office plans gay honeymoons in the UK, from the Cotswolds to the Scottish Highlands.
Frequently asked questions
Do we both have to give notice of marriage?
Yes. In England and Wales you each give notice at the register office where you live, and in Scotland and Northern Ireland you each complete your own notice form. Our wedding planning checklist shows where notice fits in your timeline.
How early can we give notice?
Notice lasts 12 months, so you can give it up to a year before the wedding. The latest you can give it is 29 days before in England, Wales and Scotland, and 28 days before in Northern Ireland, where 8 weeks is recommended.
Can a humanist celebrant legally marry us in England?
Not yet. Humanist weddings are legally binding in Scotland and Northern Ireland, but in England and Wales you need a short civil ceremony as well. You can still have a full humanist ceremony with a celebrant on the day that matters to you.
Photo: Tetiana Thiel on Unsplash
