Getting Married

The Government believes provides a strong foundation stable relationships and shares people's belief that marriage offers the most reliable framework for bringing up children.

A religious ceremony will normally be conducted by a religious leader, such as a minister or a priest. It will usually take place at a church or other place of worship, but can be conducted in other locations. Different religions and denominations have their own guidelines about marriage.

A civil ceremony will involve a registrar and may take place in a registry office (often at a town hall) or in another location agreed with the registrar.

In either of the above cases, the local registrar will need to be informed at least sixteen days prior to the marriage.

If you're looking for an interesting and unusual venue to get married, you may wish to consider Shrewsbury Castle.  The Castle has been licensed for weddings since 1995 and allows the hire of the Circular Room and Castle grounds for wedding ceremonies.  Details of the services offered and the facilities available can be found on the Shrewsbury Castle section of the Shrewsbury Museums website.

For further information on getting married, and for details of places in Shrewsbury where you can get married, please see the General Register Office website.  Information about obtaining replacement marriage certificates is also available on the site.

Further information is also available from Shropshire Registration Service.  Please see their website or telephone 0845 678 9016.

If you plan to get married abroad, additional advice is available from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website.

If you will be changing your name after getting married, you may wish to read our 'Changing Your Name' page.

For local wedding services and information you can also visit www.weddingsinshropshire.co.uk or www.shropshireweddings.co.uk.