Getting Married in Northamptonshire: Legal Steps and Fees

Getting married in Northamptonshire follows the same legal process as anywhere in England, but the practical details (which office you visit, what you pay and where you can hold the ceremony) are set by the two local councils. Since 2021 the county has been served by West Northamptonshire Council and North Northamptonshire Council, each with its own registration service. This guide walks through the legal steps in order, with the 2026/27 fees, and then looks at choosing where to marry.

Who can marry in England

According to GOV.UK, you can marry or form a civil partnership in England and Wales if you are both 18 or over, not already married or in a civil partnership, and not closely related. The same process applies to marriages and civil partnerships.

The legal process step by step

1. Choose your venue and date. You need the details of your final ceremony venue when you give notice, so book this first.
2. Check your residency. GOV.UK says you must have lived in the registration district where you give notice for the past 7 days. Both Northamptonshire councils ask that you have lived in their area for 9 days or more before your appointment, so allow for this if you have recently moved.
3. Book a notice appointment. Each of you gives notice at the register office for the area where you live. If you live in different districts, you give notice separately, and not necessarily on the same day. Northamptonshire appointments are pre-booked, with no walk-ins.
4. Attend the appointment with your documents. See the list below.
5. Wait out the notice period. Your notice is displayed publicly. You must give notice at least 29 days before the ceremony. GOV.UK's example: give notice on 1 May and the earliest you can marry is 30 May.
6. Hold the ceremony within 12 months. Notice is valid for 12 months from the date you give it.
7. Sign the marriage schedule. On the day, you, your two witnesses and the registrar sign a schedule, and the marriage is then entered in the electronic register.

Although 29 days is the legal minimum, both Northamptonshire councils recommend giving notice at least 8 weeks before the ceremony. You can give notice up to a year ahead.

If one of you is not a British or Irish citizen

Different rules apply if either of you is from outside the UK and does not have British or Irish citizenship or relevant EU Settlement Scheme status. GOV.UK says you must give notice together, at a designated register office. In West Northamptonshire the designated office is Northampton. North Northamptonshire's pages have named both Wellingborough and Kettering in different places, so confirm the current designated office with the council when booking. The notice period can be extended to 70 days while the Home Office investigates, and North Northamptonshire Council advises against booking a ceremony earlier than 70 days after notice in these cases. Additional documents and a higher fee apply. Read the GOV.UK guidance on giving notice before booking.

Documents to take to your notice appointment

GOV.UK lists the following:

• Details of your final ceremony venue
• A valid passport or UK birth certificate
• Proof of home address, such as a UK or Irish driving licence, a gas, water or electricity bill from the last 3 months, a bank statement from the last month, a Council Tax bill from the last 12 months, or a current tenancy agreement
• Proof of any name change, such as a deed poll
• If you were born after 1983 and are using a UK birth certificate, evidence of your parents' nationality, such as their birth certificates
• If you have been married or in a civil partnership before, a decree absolute, final order or death certificate

Check the full list on the GOV.UK documents page, as there are extra requirements for anyone from outside the UK.

Northamptonshire register offices

You book through the council for the area where you live, not where you plan to marry.

West Northamptonshire Council

Registration offices in Northampton, Daventry and Towcester. The main office is in Northampton. Details and booking are on the West Northamptonshire registration offices page.

North Northamptonshire Council

• Corby: The Corby Cube, Parkland Gateway, George Street, Corby NN17 1QG
• Kettering: Municipal Offices, Bowling Green Road, Kettering NN15 7QX
• Wellingborough: Wellingborough Library, Pebble Lane, Wellingborough NN8 1AS

See the North Northamptonshire registration offices page for opening times and booking.

Fees for 2026/27

Both councils charge £46.50 per person to give notice, with extra charges for Saturday appointments and a higher fee where the notice is referred to the Home Office. The ceremony fees below apply from 1 April 2026 and are published by both councils for ceremonies in standard hours at their ceremony rooms or at approved venues.

Outside the summer season, West Northamptonshire charges £686 on Fridays and £712 on Saturdays. North Northamptonshire also offers an intimate ceremony at Fletton House in Oundle on Wednesdays for £364. The simplest legal marriage, at a register office, carries a statutory fee which GOV.UK currently gives as £62. Always check the council's own fees page before booking, as fees are reviewed each April.

What the ceremony must include

Under GOV.UK rules, a civil ceremony needs at least 2 witnesses. It must not include religious content, such as hymns or readings from the Bible or the Torah, though you can have a religious blessing afterwards. Couples marrying must exchange vows. You can each add up to 4 parents to the marriage schedule.

Choosing where to hold the ceremony

You have four broad options in England:

• A register office. The simplest and cheapest route, often with a small ceremony room.
• An approved premises. A hotel, country house, barn or other venue licensed by the council. You pay the venue's hire charge plus the council's ceremony fee. Since April 2022, approved premises can also hold ceremonies outdoors within their grounds, once the location has been agreed with the superintendent registrar.
• A registered religious building. Religious ceremonies take place at registered places of worship. GOV.UK gives the registrar fee at a religious building as £114.50, where a registrar attends.
• A non-legal celebration. Celebrant-led ceremonies are not legally binding in England on their own. Many couples complete the legal part at a register office and then hold the celebration wherever they like.

If you want the ceremony and reception in one place, ask every venue you view whether it is an approved premises. Start with the Northamptonshire wedding venues directory, or look further afield at venues across the East Midlands. Our guides to wedding venue costs in Northamptonshire and barn and country-house venues cover pricing and venue styles in more detail.

A suggested timeline

• 12 to 18 months before: book your venue and, if marrying at an approved venue, the registrars. Book your photographer soon after, as popular dates go early.
• Up to 12 months before: the earliest you can give notice.
• At least 8 weeks before: the councils' recommended latest point to give notice.
• At least 29 days before: the legal deadline for giving notice.
• Final weeks: confirm the ceremony details with the registrars, and brief your two witnesses.

Where do we give notice if we live outside Northamptonshire?

You give notice at the register office for the district where you live, even if the wedding is in Northamptonshire. That office passes the notice on. You then book the ceremony itself with the Northamptonshire council covering your venue.

How long before the wedding should we give notice?

The legal minimum is 29 days, and notice lasts 12 months. Both Northamptonshire councils recommend giving notice at least 8 weeks before the ceremony, and longer if either of you is subject to immigration control.

How much does the cheapest legal wedding in Northamptonshire cost?

In North Northamptonshire, a registration-only marriage with two witnesses costs £74.50 including the certificate, plus £46.50 each for notice. That brings the total to £167.50 for the legal formalities.

Do we need witnesses?

Yes. You need at least 2 witnesses at the ceremony, and they sign the marriage schedule with you and the registrar.

Can we include religious readings in a civil ceremony?

No. Civil ceremonies must not include religious content such as hymns or Bible readings. You can hold a religious blessing separately after the civil ceremony.