Slough Borough Council

Giving notice

Each person getting married has to give notice to their local superintendent registrar in person.

No-one else can do this for them.

Giving the notice requires a form to be completed with details such as name, age, marital status, nationality and so on. Evidence for some of the information is required. Both the person giving the notice, and the superintendent registrar will sign the notice. It is written into the marriage notice book, and displayed on the public board for 16 days for legal objections to be made.

On the sixteenth day – providing no legal objection has been made and providing that all the necessary paperwork has been seen the authority for the marriage can be issued and the marriage can take place. Please remember though, that if the bride and groom live in different districts or do not give their notices on the same day, the marriage cannot take place until the second of the two authorities has been issued ie both authorities have been issued.

Each notice usually lasts one year (although there are exceptions to this) and again if the notices are given at different dates, then the marriage must take place before the first notice has expired.

So the marriage can take place 16 days after the second notice has been given and up to one year from the date the first notice was given.

Example:

One notice given July 2 2004

Second notice given August 5 2004

Marriage can take place between August 21 2004 and July 2 2005

If necessary a bride or groom may need to bring an interpreter with them to assist with giving the notice. The interpreter may be a family member of friend and will be required to sign a statement confirming his correct translation of the questions and answers. The interpreter cannot give the notice even if he knows all the relevant information but can only translate the questions and the answers.