How to Marry in Cheshire East
Cheshire East features idyllic rural landscapes and picturesque historic towns and, with over 60 Approved Premises (venues) and our ceremony rooms in Crewe and Macclesfield, you are sure to find a setting that is perfect for you.
Visit our dedicated ceremony website Your Ceremony Your Choice for information on how to plan your ceremony.
Whether you are planning a small, intimate ceremony or a grand occasion, our professional and dedicated Registrars can help create a ceremony of the highest standard that will leave you with memories to treasure for a lifetime.
Where you can get married
The marriage venue that you choose will depend on what type of ceremony you wish to have. There are three types of ceremony venues offered within England and Wales:
- A religious ceremony in a church or other religious building.
- A civil ceremony in a Register Office
- A civil ceremony in Approved Premises - Details of venues licensed for civil marriage are available on our website Your Ceremony Your Choice
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriages can now take place in Cheshire East
A Civil Ceremony in an Approved Premise
There are over 70 approved premises in Cheshire East licensed to hold civil marriages including: hotels, stately homes, restaurants and even a castle. These are listed on our website Your Ceremony Your Choice
You can book your registrars up to three years in advance of your ceremony date. Contact our Your Ceremony Team on 01270 375140 or be emailing ceremonysupport@cheshireeast.gov.uk. When you book with us, we ask you for an administration fee and this is deducted from the fee charged for our team to attend on the day of your ceremony.
Marriages at approved premises are available every day of the week between 10.00am and 6.00pm.
Ceremonies are available on all Bank Holidays.
A Civil Ceremony in a Register Office
Cheshire East has two attractive statutory ceremony rooms, one in each of our Register Offices situated in Crewe and Macclesfield. There are also two larger ceremony rooms at the Municipal Buildings and Macclesfield Town Hall that can be booked for ceremonies.
A basic legal ceremony is available in our statutory ceremony room. You will exchange legal declarations to each other and have the opportunity to exchange rings if you wish.
For a statutory ceremony you should arrive 15 minutes before the ceremony is due to start. The registrar will speak with you both together before the ceremony to make sure all the details for the registration are correct. You will then enter the room together. The maximum number of people allowed for the statutory ceremony room ceremony is 4, ie the couple and two guests who will act as witnesses.
You can make a booking to have a Register Office ceremony up to one year in advance.
As soon as you have decided on a ceremony date, we suggest you contact our Ceremonies Team, to check availability and make a provisional booking. The full fee for the ceremony will be payable at the time of booking. This is a statutory fee and covers the attendance of two Registrars and the use of the ceremony room.
The Ceremony Team will tell you about giving your legal notice of marriage which must be completed before a ceremony can take place.
Religious Ceremonies
Information on religious ceremonies is available on our religious ceremonies page.
Overseas ceremonies
If you are thinking about getting married abroad, please contact the appropriate embassy or consulate so that they can advise you of the formalities and documentation required by that country. For more information and advice, you can contact the ‘General Register Office’.
Booking your ceremony
The first step in booking your ceremony is to decide where you would like the ceremony to take place and make a provisional booking. If you choose one of our approved premises, please check that our Ceremony team is available by contacting our Ceremonies Team on 01270 375140 . They will book your ceremony and advise you about giving your notice of marriage.
If you need to amend or change your marriage booking then you will need to contact our Ceremonies Team.
Notice of marriage
The next step is to arrange to complete the legal notices of marriage in the registration authority where you live. If you need more information about residential qualifications, see the Marriages and civil partnerships in England and Wales or contact the Ceremonies Team.
If you live in Cheshire East, and have already booked your ceremony date and the registrar's attendance, you can telephone 0300 123 5019 to make a notice appointment at one of our offices. A booking fee of £42.00 per person will be taken when the appointment is booked. This fee covers the cost of the statutory notice fee and is non-refundable.
Both parties have to give notice in person.
If you live outside Cheshire East, please contact your local Register Office. If you live in different local authority areas, notices will have to be given in each area.
1. When you call to make your appointment to give notice, ask your Registrar which documents you will need to produce, such as:
- Evidence of identity, age and nationality, ideally a passport. If you were born before 1 January 1983, a UK birth certificate is also acceptable.
- Change of name documents.
- Proof of residence in the form of a utility bill or other official document which shows your home address. A utility bill should be dated no more than 3 months before the date of the notice of marriage; a bank or building society statement should be dated no more than 1 month before the date of the notice of marriage.
- If appropriate, evidence of how any previous marriage ended, such as a divorce decree absolute or a death certificate.
- If either of you have a foreign divorce document, there will be a further fee payable for this to be considered by the Superintendent Registrar or, in some cases, by General Register Office. It is important that you let us know about any foreign divorces before making an appointment. Contact our Registrars on 0300 123 5019 for further information.
- Further documents may be required as evidence, eg a previous marriage certificate to link the name on a woman’s birth certificate with the name and her decree absolute.
- If either of you is subject to immigration control you will need to provide further documents.
2. The booking fee paid when the appointment is booked covers the statutory notice fee. This fee is non-refundable.
3. Marriage cannot take place until after 28 clear days have elapsed from the day of giving notice. During the 28-day waiting period, the notices will be displayed in your local Registration Authority.
4. Once the waiting period of 28 full days has passed, the marriage can only take place at the venue specified on the notices. The notices are valid for 12 months. If you change the venue, or the notices expire, fresh notices will have to be given.
Contact our Ceremonies Team on 01270 375140 if you have any queries about the documents required.
Restrictions for non-UK citizens
There are special procedures when either partner is a non-EEA (European Economic Area) national who is subject to immigration control. If this applies to you, please contact your local Register Office for further advice. See the GOV.UK website for further information if you or your partner are from outside the UK or Ireland.
Personalise your ceremony
Our Ceremonies Team will confirm your booking. You will receive our ceremony profile which outlines ideas and suggestions for your ceremony.
If you wish to personalise your ceremony with your own readings and music or if you would like to discuss any aspect of your ceremony contact your Ceremonies Officer who will be happy to discuss your requirements.
Legally we are not allowed to include wording, readings or music which may have religious connotations within our civil marriage ceremonies.
Further ceremony information
Once you have given notice of marriage, remember to visit our website Your Ceremony Your Choice, which contains information to help you plan your day, including advice for the ceremony and suggested readings.
The Cheshire East Registrars team have created a brochure to help you plan your special day, the brochure can be found on the your ceremony planning page.
Renewal of vows
If you are married then you can renew your marriage vows in a civil ceremony at a register office or one of our approved premises. To discuss booking a renewal of vows, please contact us on 01270 375140 or using the email below.
Marriage fees
All the fees for marriage are shown on our fees page.
If you have been living on your own and claiming Single Person Discount on Council Tax, and are now going to be living with your spouse, you should tell your local Council Tax team.
Contact the Register Office
Email creweregisteroffice@cheshireeast.gov.uk or see Gov.UK.
Page last reviewed: 31 May 2024
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