Marriages
If you plan to get married in Belfast it is important that you read all of the information below carefully. You might also be interested in our answers to common queries about marriages and if you need any further advice, please complete our enquiry form.
Find out about:
Our office opening hours are:
| Days |
Times |
|
| Monday to Thursday |
9.30am to 4.30pm |
Last entrance to registration is 4.15pm |
| Friday |
9.30am to 4pm |
Last entrance to registration is 3.45pm |
| Saturday and Sunday |
Closed |
| Public and bank holidays |
View holiday arrangements |
An appointment is essential for marriage and civil partnership notices. Please call us on
028 9027 0455 or email
registrar@belfastcity.gov.uk
Marriage notice
You must give a minimum of 28 days notice to get married. If you don't give 28 days notice, you may need to postpone your marriage. You can give notice up to a year before the date of your marriage.
Religious ceremonies take place in a church, chapel or other building of worship. Services are conducted by authorised people, according to the relevant tradition.
If you are having a religious ceremony, you still need to give notice at the Registrar’s office in Belfast City Hall. If you are getting married in a different district, for example Newtownabbey, you will give notice in Mossley Mill. Contact us for advice.
Once you have given notice, we’ll let you know when you can collect the schedule. The bride or groom can collect the schedule and give it to the marriage conductor.
If you have decided to have your ceremony at our Registrar’s office in City Hall or at one of our approved venues, please contact us for availability and advice.
Before
you can get married in Belfast, you and your partner need to complete a
marriage notice form and produce other essential documents.
If you're giving marriage or civil partnership notice, you need to make an appointment with us. Please call us on 028 9027 0455 or email registrar@belfastcity.gov.uk
This still applies if you are having a
religious ceremony in a hotel or other venue. You must get the marriage
notice forms signed by the religious conductor. You can give notice up to one year in advance of your wedding. The law requires a minimum 28 days notice.
Once the marriage has taken place, the schedule should be returned to
the Registration office within three working days for the marriage to be
registered. You can then purchase a copy of the marriage certificate
for £8.
The following documents must be provided by both you and your partner when returning your marriage notice forms:
- your full (long version) birth certificate
- your passport or national identity card - the Registrar can advise on alternatives if you do not hold either of these
- a consent form (if you aged 16 or 17)
- if
you have been married before and the marriage was dissolved, a
certificate of divorce or annulment or a certified copy decree (decrees
must be absolute or final)
- if you have entered into a civil partnership before, a court order of dissolution for that partnership
- if you are a widow, widower or surviving civil partner, the death certificate of your former spouse or civil partner.
If you're a non-EEA citizen, please read NI Direct's information on getting married in Northern Ireland.
Marriage fees
|
Wedding
|
Price
|
Religious wedding
|
£44 |
|
Civil weddings in Registrar's office (Belfast City Hall)
|
£180 weekdays
|
|
£306 Saturdays
|
|
£360 bank holidays
|
|
Civil weddings in approved venues
|
£213 weekdays
|
|
£280 Saturdays
|
|
£312 bank holidays
|
|
Civil weddings in a venue of your choice
|
£213 weekdays
|
Plus £400 to apply for a temporary marriage licence
|
| £280 Saturdays |
| £312 bank holidays |
To marry in Northern Ireland, you and your partner must be:
- aged 18 or above on the day of your wedding (consent is needed if either of you is aged 16 or 17)
- unrelated to one another in a way that would prevent you from getting married
- free to marry, for example, neither of you is already a civil partner or legally married
- of a different sex.