A civil marriage ceremony can be held in any of the six delightful ceremony rooms at our Registration Offices in Leicestershire, or at an Approved Venue that has been licensed for the purpose by the County Council.

There are some restrictions on exactly where a marriage ceremony can take place, even at Approved Venues. The law states that a civil ceremony must be held inside a permanent building, which means that you can't get married outdoors in a marquee for example. In addition, a civil ceremony cannot contain any elements of a religious nature, or take place in a building with any religious connection.

In Leicestershire we are happy to make a provisional booking up to two years in advance of your chosen date.

People attending civil marriages in Leicestershire today are usually pleasantly surprised as the old days of a brief perfunctory occasion have gone. Our Registrars are not simply recorders of the important life events; they are friendly and professional people with a wealth of experience, who are here to work with you to ensure that you have a day to treasure.

Further information on getting married in a register office or at an approved premise can be found on the Guidance for Marriages page.

You must both give legal notice of your intention to marry by attending a Registration Office in person, in the Registration District in which you live. If you live in different districts, this would mean that you each attend a different Registration Office. The minimum period between giving notice of your marriage and when a ceremony can take place is fifteen clear days, and you can give notice of your marriage up to twelve months before the date of your ceremony. It's therefore a good idea to give notice as soon as possible, which can be done in Leicestershire by making an appointment to attend one of our offices. In exceptional circumstances, where there are compelling reasons to do so, the 15-day waiting period may be reduced.

If either party is not a national of the European Economic Area you must both attend a Designated Office – your local Register Office will be able to advise where the nearest office is located.

Once you have given notice, and fifteen clear days have elapsed, a Certificate for Marriage will be produced. Each party to a marriage must have one of these. If you give notice in Leicestershire and are being married in Leicestershire, we will arrange for your certificates to be forwarded to the relevant office. If either of you live outside of Leicestershire or your marriage is to take place outside of Leicestershire, then you will be responsible for ensuring that your Certificate reaches the correct destination.

Your residency status before giving notice
You both need to have lived in the area in which you wish to give notice for at least eight nights,  immediately before giving notice.
For example, if you arrive on Monday 1 May, the eight night period starts that night and the eighth night will be Monday 8 May. You can then give notice on Tuesday 9 May.
This applies to all including those travelling from overseas.

Original copies of all documents are required. Photocopies are not acceptable.

If either of you have been married or entered a civil partnership before you will need to bring documentary evidence that the marriage/civil partnership has ended and that you are free to marry:

There is a fee per person for giving notice plus an additional charge for the ceremony taking place at a Registration Service Office. If you choose to do this at an approved venue you will incur the cost for attendance by the Registration Staff plus a further charge by the owners of the building for the use of the premises.