Wedding Checklist
The ultimate list of everything you need to have a marriage or civil partnership
Lambeth Council has over 20 licensed venues to choose from, from ancient livery halls to modern restaurants. Many couples enter their union at the beautiful and historic Lambeth Town Hall.
Once you’ve decided where you want to hold your marriage/civil partnership ceremony, you will need to book a Lambeth registrar for that date and time.
If you have booked a room in our town hall a registrar is included with your booking however, if you've chosen another licensed venue, you will need to book your venue and then book the registrars to attend your venue.
After you have booked your ceremony, you are both legally required to give a notice of marriage/civil partnership at your local registry office.
This means making an in-person appointment to see a registrar to show them proof of your identity, nationality, immigration status, address and that you are legally free to enter this union together. This can be done 12 months in advance but must be done at least 29 days before the ceremony (subject to your immigration status). For individuals subject to immigration control, the notice period may be extended to 71 days by the Home Office.
The statutory fee for giving notice of marriage/civil partnership is £35 per person, or £47 per person if one or both of you are subject to immigration control. This is payable when you book via your local council’s website or on the day that the notice is given.
We advise you to do this as soon as permitted, as many offices are very busy, especially during the summer period and may not have appointments for several months.
Please note: you can give notice before booking your venue and registrars if you prefer, but first confirm that the venue can accommodate your ceremony as the notice is venue specific and cannot be changed. If you then decide you want to change your venue, you will need to apply for a new notice.
If you didn’t pay the full fee at the time of booking, you will be reminded to make the final payment at least three months before your ceremony date.
We will send you information about the choices you can make to personalise your ceremony, and ask you to complete a form with your decisions. We ask you to return this at least a month before the ceremony.
We advise arriving at least 15 minutes before your ceremony and our registrars will take care of the rest