Questions and answers - religious weddings

The purpose of a formal notice is to ensure that you are an eligible resident in the county and that there are no legal constraints for you to get married.

The formal notice will be displayed on a public notice board at Siop Gwynedd Caernarfon. The Registry Service will then prepare your certificates which give you the legal right for you to marry.

The certificates issued after the 28 day notice period remain valid for 12 months from the day you give notice. For example – if you give notice on 2 April 2019, your certificates will be issued on 1 May 2019 and will be valid until 2 April 2020.

The ceremony can be held at any date within the valid period (see question above). However, the new date must be agreed with the registration service. Please call 01766 771000.

If you decide to change the location of the ceremony after you have given your formal notice, your certificates will not be valid. You will have to give another formal notice and re-pay the fees. Please contact us on 01766 771000.

In order to get married in a chapel in Gwynedd you will either need to be a member in the chapel or have lived in Gwynedd for at least 7 days before giving the formal notice.

In most cases, a Registrar will be needed at the service. However, some chapels have appointed their own officials (Authorised Persons) to act on behalf of the Registrar. If this is the case, the fees should be discussed with the chapel’s authorities.

No – nobody else has the right to give a formal notice on your behalf. Both of you must give a formal notice.

You will need to show:

1. either a passport or birth certificate (we mwy need other documents, please ask the Registrar for the up to date requirements).
2. proof of address: either a rent document, council tax bill, recent public service bill or bank statement
3. Marital / civil partnership status (if relevant)
   -  in a divorce /separation case - certificate of Decree Absolute
   -  death - death certificate of former spouse

The list above refers specifically to residents from the UK. If either of you are from outside the UK, or have been divorced in another country, you should discuss with the Registration Service before making an appointment to give a formal notice.