Getting married

If you want to marry or form a civil partnership in England or Wales you must make an appointment to give notice at the Register Office in the district where you have lived for the 8 nights immediately before giving notice, regardless of where you intend to hold your ceremony.

However if you are getting married in the Church of England or Church of Wales please contact the vicar of the church for advice on the legal requirements and fees.

If you live in Sefton you can give notice at either Southport Register Office, Town Hall, Corporation Street, Southport PR8 1DA or Crosby Register Office, Town Hall, Great Georges Road, Waterloo L22 1RB. 

To make an appointment please send us an email here.

In your email please include both names, address and contact number, date and place of wedding. A member of staff will aim to contact you in seven working days to make an appointment.

The notices are displayed on the public notice board at the Register Office for 28 clear days (in Sefton all notices are displayed at the Southport office), after which the  schedule for marriage or civil partnership will be issued.

Your ceremony can then take place at the venue stated up to 12 months from the date that you gave notice.

If you change the place of your wedding/ civil partnership, or delay the date until later than 12 months from the date that you gave notice, you will need to give fresh notices and pay your notice fees again.

Under the Marriage Act 1994 civil marriages and civil partnerships may be solemnised at a variety of locations, including hotels and sporting venues. These locations are known as Approved Premises. 

To view the latest brochure on venues click here

The latest list of Sefton’s approved premises is held at Southport Register Office and currently includes the following venues:

In addition to the cost of giving notice (currently £42 each) the ceremony fees for Southport and Waterloo Town Halls are:

• Monday – Thursday £233.00 (includes 1 certificate) 
• Friday & Saturday £255.50 (includes 1 certificate)
• The Ante Room at Southport Town Hall and the Mayors Parlour at Waterloo Town Hall can be booked for a simple, basic ceremony for a cost of £68.50 (includes 1 certificate).This ceremony is for a maximum of 10 people, including bride and groom and is available from Monday – Friday at 9.30am only.

The charges at approved venues are: 

• Monday – Thursday £407.50 (includes 1 certificate)

• Friday & Saturday £486.50 (includes 1 certificate)

• Sunday & Bank holidays £620.50 (includes 1 certificate)

These fees apply to ceremonies up to, and including, 4.30pm. If you wish to hold your ceremony at a later time please contact the Register Office on 0151 934 3044 (select option 4)

Please note that the above fees are separate from any other fees charged by the venue.

We will be able to make a provisional booking for an Approved Venue or the Town Halls for ceremonies which will take place up to 30th September 2025.

You will need to pay a non-refundable reservation booking fee of £54 at the time of booking to secure the booking.

Please send us an email here with both names, address and contact number, date and place of wedding. A member of staff will contact you in 7 working days to make an appointment.

Please contact us before you confirm a date with your chosen venue as we may not have availability on the date that you want.

You will need to provide evidence of your name, age, nationality, address and condition. The most commonly accepted documents are:

• Name, age and nationality – current passport. If you do not have a current passport you will need to provide your full birth certificate and, if you were born in the UK after 1st January 1983, evidence of the nationality of your parents. If you were born outside of the UK and do not have a valid passport please contact the register office for advice.
• Address – current full UK driving licence, current council tax bill, or bank statement (dated within 1 month) or utility bill (dated within 3 months) Paper copies only. We will not accept online documents.
• Condition (this is required if you have been previously married or entered into civil partnership in this country or any other country) – evidence of how the marriage ended (divorce decree absolute, death certificate of former spouse).
• A document or documents, confirming divorce, annulment or dissolution outside the UK. (Please note: as of 1 November 2017 we are legally required to take a fee for all divorces / dissolutions that took place outside of the British Isles. The fee is for the consideration of the document and does not guarantee that the document will be approved. Some divorces / dissolutions will be approved at your notice appointment and the fee for this is £55.00. However, in a lot of cases the documentation will need to be considered by the General Register Office and the fee for this is £83.00. Unfortunately we are unable to determine which fee will be payable until you provide the documentation at your appointment.)

If you are unable to provide any of the above documents please contact the Register Office for advice.

The fee to give notice is £42 each and is payable at the time that you give notice.

The Sefton Registration Service offers you the opportunity to renew your vows.

The ceremony is for any married couple who wish to celebrate renewing their marriage vows in a unique and personal ceremony.

Fees range from £200 to £620 depending on the day of the week and where the ceremony will be held.

Contact us via email here to enquire about this service.

A civil ceremony can take place in a register office or other building licensed for marriage ceremonies. The ceremony is conducted by a registration officer and cannot have any religious content.

A religious ceremony can take place in a church, chapel or other building of religious worship which has been formally registered for marriage ceremonies. The service is conducted by the minister in accordance with the religious rites and ceremonies of the premises.

There are no current applications

Marriages are no longer recorded in a marriage register at the end of a ceremony and legal certificates are not presented on the day.

Couples and their witnesses must sign a Marriage/Civil Partnership Schedule, or a Marriage Document if your ceremony takes place in a Church of England. You must then return these to the register office before you can obtain a legal certificate.

It’s important that you read all information recorded, including spellings, carefully before signing. Any requests to change or update information will be subject to a £99 charge. In some cases it will not be possible to change information recorded.

You will obtain a Marriage or Civil Partnership Schedule when you give notice at your local register office. If you are getting married in a Church of England, you will obtain the Marriage Document once your banns have been called.

On the day of your ceremony

For marriages taking place at a register office or approved venue, the Registrar will bring the Marriage or Civil Partnership Schedule to your ceremony and return it to the register office on your behalf.

For marriages taking place in a religious building, the Incumbent (Church of England), Authorised Person, Secretary of Synagogue or Society of Friends Registering Officer is responsible for returning the Marriage Schedule or Marriage Document to the register office within 21 days of the marriage. However, with the couples agreement, this task may be delegated to the couple themselves or another member of the wedding party.

Marriage and Civil Partnership Registration

All marriages and civil partnerships must be registered at the register office for the district where the event takes place. All marriages and civil partnerships that occur within the Sefton district will be registered at Sefton Register Office.

If the marriage or civil partnership takes place outside the Sefton district, the Marriage/Civil Partnership Schedule or Marriage Document must be returned to the local register office covering that area.

The Marriage/Civil Partnership Schedule or Marriage Document cannot be used in place of a legal certificate.

Issuing your marriage or civil partnerships certificate

When we receive your Marriage/Civil Partnership Schedule or Marriage Document we will complete the registration within 7 days and will post your certificates to you. For marriages or civil partnerships at Sefton Register Office or one of our approved venues you may order and pay for any certificates you require when paying your ceremony payment to us.

For marriages or civil partnerships in religious buildings you can apply online at www.sefton.gov.uk Certificates cost £12.50 each.