Age for the aisle
Question
I'm planning to get married this year, and when I rang the local registrar's office to arrange a wedding, I was asked if we were both over 23 years of age. I didn't think to ask at the time but am curious to discover why they asked that question.
Answer
The reason the registrar asked if you were over 23 is because under 23s are required to present birth certificates before getting married. This is a legal requirement and giving false information is a criminal offence.
If you're under 23 you'll need to give proof of your:
- Name and address;
- Date of birth - if you have a birth certificate, show this. If not, and you were born in England or Wales, the Registrar will be able to trace the information;
- Father's name and occupation and partner's father's name and occupation. If there is no known father, this section can be left blank.
If one partner has been married before or in a civil partnership, you'll also need to show evidence that the marriage or civil partnership has ended. This could be a death certificate, decree absolute or final order. An uncertified photocopy will not be accepted. A certified copy of a decree absolute can be obtained from the court which decided the divorce. If the planned marriage is to take place outside England and Wales, the decree absolute must be personally signed on the back by the district judge of the court.
If you need any further information about the legalities of planning your wedding, your may find it useful to read Advice Guide's Getting married pages. Good luck with the preparations and hope the wedding goes well.
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