If you have been previously divorced, do not wish to have a religious ceremony or simply would like to plan a more personal wedding day then choosing a civil ceremony could be the answer.

For further information please visit the General Register Office for England and Wales at the following web address:

http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/marriages/

Before you can be married in England and Wales you must first give formal notice of your intention to marry. Giving notice will require each of you to attend in person at the register office in whose district you reside.

Most register offices will also accept a provisional booking up to 12 months in advance. This can be done by letter, personal visit or by telephone. To make a provisional booking you should contact the register office in whose district you wish to be married. At this stage you will be advised about giving notice to the office(s) in whose district(s) you reside.

The following conditions apply if you give notice at least 15 days in advance of your wedding date:

You must both have lived in any registration district in England or Wales for a minimum of 7 days immediately before the day on which you give notice in that district(s).

If you live in different registration districts to each other, you must each give notice in your own district of residence.

If you choose to marry outside your district(s) of residence, you should first contact the office for the district where you wish to marry to check availability of dates.

Once you have given notice you must wait a minimum of 15 complete days (whilst the notice is publicly displayed at the register office) before the marriage can take place.

If marrying out of your district(s) of residence, you must collect a marriage authority (or authorities) from your district register office(s), after the statuary waiting period has expired.

These documents (one for each of you) are the legal authorisation for your marriage to proceed and must be delivered to the Superintendent Registrar of the district in which you are to be married, before the day of your wedding.

There is a £30 statutory fee for each person giving notice of marriage (£60 per couple).

§ Durban House Heritage Centre, Eastwood
§ Eastwood Hall, Eastwood
§ Gedling House, Gedling
§ Lakeside, Arnold
§ Newstead Abbey, Ravenshead
§ The Villiage Hotel and Leisure Club, Chilwell
§ Clumber Park Hotel, Worksop
§ Elms Hotel, Retford
§ Ye Olde Bell Hotel, Retford
§ West Retford Hotel, East Retford
§ Mansfield Civic Centre, Mansfield
§ Portland College, Mansfield
§ Portland Hall Hotel, Mansfield
§ Boughton Pumping Station, Newark
§ Kelham Hall, Newark
§ Newark Town Hall, Newark
§ Norwood Park Country House, Southwell
§ Saracens Head Hotel, Southwell
§ Blotts Country Club, Holme Pierrepont
§ Cotgrave Place Golf and Country Club
§ County Hall, West Bridgford
§ Holme Pierrepont Hall, Holme Pierrepont
§ Langar Hall Hotel, Nottingham
§ Ruddington Grange Golf Club, Ruddington
§ The Manor School of Fine Cuisine, Widmerpool
§ Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, Trent Bridge
§ Nottingham Forest Football Club, Nottingham
§ Sutton Bonington Hall, Loughborough
§ The Charnwood Hotel, Worksop
§ The Lion Hotel, Worksop

The legal requirements for getting married at an approved venue are the same as those for getting married at a register office, but the attendance of a Registrar also needs to be arranged. To arrange a wedding at an approved premises, you must first get in touch with the venue to make an appointment. You should then contact the register office in the district where the premises is located to ensure that the Registration Officer can attend your wedding.

Notice of your marriage is given at the register office in the district(s) where you live, not where the venue is situated (unless of course you live in the same district). Once you have been issued with your Marriage Authority this should be forwarded to the Superintendent Registrar in the registration district covering your venue for their records.

Notice can be given up to twelve months before your wedding date and the earlier you plan the more chance you have of getting your chosen date and venue. In addition to the standard fees for a civil wedding there is a further fee payable to the Registrar for getting married at approved premises.

Licensed venues have a greater flexibility than register offices regarding the times that ceremonies can be held. The available times are between 8am and 6pm on any day but this will be down to the individual venue.

Before you view any premises take time to think about what you want and make a list of questions to ask and take a notebook with you when visiting venues for jotting down any relevant points.