We're currently planning a wedding hopefully for May 2015 in Nottinghamshire (where we met). The only thing is that we are both based abroad. We want a UK wedding to make it easy for our family and friends to travel, especially since Nottingham is between where his family and mine are from.
I've been doing my research and read somewhere that we need to live in the local area of the Register Office for 8 days before giving notice. We are both British but this is a slight problem since we cannot take that much time off from work. We also do not have family etc. who live in Nottingham who we can stay with, so it would mean living in hotels which would eat into our wedding budget.
Does anyone have any experience with dealing with the registry office for something like this? We are planning on a church wedding in a Methodist church so no banns, etc. to deal with but I guess we would still need to book the Registrar soon for the date we want. Would appreciate some advice from other brides who were living abroad before getting married in England.
CommentAuthorDonnaH39
Have you ever lived in Nottingham? (you say it was where you met) I think if you have ever lived there for 6 months or over you also qualify.
I think the best thing to do is contact the Church and they will see if they can accommodate you, our Church warden was telling us how he had an enquiry from a couple who lived in Australia who wanted to get married in the Church but their families didn't live in the area either (I think they lived in completely different area's) He told them he thought there was no way they would be able to, but he looked into it and found that because of something they could (it might have been that her grandparents were married in that Church or something)
If there is a loophole which says you can get married there then they will find it for you.
CommentAuthorCatherineR
Why do you need a registrar for a church wedding?
Married my wife on 15.08.15
Honeymooned on the Isles of Scilly :)
CommentAuthormtv
@DonnaH39 Yes we both lived in Nottingham for about 3 years before moving abroad. I'll ask the local minister then. Thanks!
@CatherineRodgers2Be Looking at the Notts City Council site it says: "A Superintendent Registrar and Registrar, or an Authorised Person, needs to be present at all Marriages and Civil Partnerships, except those at a church belonging to the Church of England."
Since we're getting married in a non-CoE church, my understanding of the above is that we still need a registrar at the actual ceremony even if there is already a minister to officiate...is that right?
CommentAuthorDonnaH39
Sorry I read that wrong as well, didn't realise you meant about the registrar, but again I'd still speak to them and see what they say, they'll know if you can get round it at all :)
I'd check because normally with church ceremonies you won't need a registrar. The vicar does it via the banns
Married my wife on 15.08.15
Honeymooned on the Isles of Scilly :)
CommentAuthorDonnaH39
It's none Church of England Catherine, it's only Church of England who can def do it without the registrar, other Churches it depends if the minister is allowed to or not, my sister got married in a Catholic Church and needed the registrar there as the priest was allowed to marry people at one of his Church's but not the one they got married at
CommentAuthorCatherineR
Oh right I see, apologies but I've been to more Catholic, CofE and Methodist marriage services than I care to remember and never have I seen a registrar but I'd be intrigued to hear back from what they say :) x
Married my wife on 15.08.15
Honeymooned on the Isles of Scilly :)
CommentAuthorDonnaH39
I'll be honest I never knew myself until my sister told me, I always assumed they could all do it
CommentAuthorlala "mod" bunni
First I've ever heard of a registrar needing to be at a church wedding ...
A couple of my friends live in Germany - she's American/Italian and he's German. She lived in London for a good few years but they met (in London), fell in love and she moved out there to be with him. They wanted to marry in London, but like you, they couldn't both take that amount of time off to be 'resident' in Lambeth before the wedding. They did a bit of a naughty thing and flew over, gave notice, then he flew back and she remained here with their young son. They were lucky as sometimes they randomly call you to come in, just to check you are in fact resident, but they didn't on this occasion. I remember it being a stressful few days because of that. All went well though and they have a great set of friends over here and we all pulled together to make the wedding work. The whole thing was literally planned in that short time that she was 'resident' here. We had a mass cake-making and decoration sessions. The wedding was attended by about 16 of their nearest and dearest and it was the most love-filled, beautifully romantic wedding I'd been to up to that point. They got married at the reg office, so not sure about the registrar needing to be present in a non CofE church though, I'm afraid.
Vegas baby!
Moderator
CommentAuthormtv
We're both in Zurich now. Hopefully heading to see some venues in Nottingham next month for a couple of days.Do you guys think it would help that I still technically have an address in the UK? I still have a UK bank account so posts are sent to my parent's address in Cambridgeshire.
CommentAuthorInDreamland
We had a registrar in attendance at our Catholic wedding, overseeing the ceremony conducted by the priest. All ceremonies apart from CofE churches must have a registrar at the ceremony.
Married the love of my life on Saturday 11th May 2013 xxx
Had our dream perfect honeymoon in Hawaii!
