If you’re reading this page, you’re probably thinking about getting engaged or have recently got engaged. If so, congratulations!
There are a number of key steps you must take in order to ensure your marriage is legal. Don’t worry – we’ll help you to make it quick and easy for you. Just follow the simple steps below.
Choose and book a venue
The first key step is to choose a venue.
Why not check out the wonderful Chadderton Town Hall?
Or take a look at our list of other approved venues in Oldham:
- Smokies Park Hotel, Ashton Road, Bardsley
- Saddleworth Hotel, Huddersfield Road, Delph
- Stables Wedding Farm, Slackfield Farm, Knott Hill Lane, Delph
- White Hart Inn, Stockport Road, Lydgate
- George Street Chapel, George Street, Oldham
- Grains Bar, Ripponden Road, Oldham
- Uppermill Civic Hall, Lee Street, Uppermill
If you wish to choose a religious venue you will need to consult the relevant religious officials.
If you want to get married in a venue that has not been approved for weddings, you can apply for a building to be certified. Charges to cover costs apply.
To enquire about certifying a new venue, call us on 0161 770 4963.
Give notice
Once you’ve booked a venue and set a date you must, by law, give at least one month’s notice before your wedding date.
To do so, book an appointment at Oldham Register Office at least 29 days before the wedding.
You can give notice up to 12 months in advance. A fee of £42 each is payable to cover the cost of publicising the notice.
The only exception to this is if two UK nationals are getting married in a Church of England ceremony. In this case, the minister may be able to give notice differently, by way of a process called publishing banns
.
If either party to the marriage is a foreign national the minister will not be able to publish banns and you will need to give notice of marriage.
Couples getting married in a Church of England ceremony are advised to speak to their Minister about giving notice before booking an appointment.
Documents you will need to give notice
There are documents you will need to bring with you to give notice.
These are listed on the GOV.UK website:
If you are unable to bring the correct documents to your appointment you will be unable to give notice of your marriage or civil partnership.
Do you need a registrar to attend?
In some circumstances there is a need for a registrar to attend a ceremony to certify the marriage at a venue in Oldham. This will depend on the venue you choose, so seek advice from the venue when making your booking.
To book a registrar to attend, call 0161 770 8960.
Wedding fees
Non-refundable date reservation fee £67
Room booking fees – Chadderton Town Hall
Oak room
The following fees include the room booking fee, the ceremony, registration plus 1 marriage/civil partnership certificate
- Monday – Thursday – £246.50
- Friday and Saturday morning – £266
- Saturday afternoon – £475
- Sunday and bank holidays – £545
Green room
- Monday – Thursday – £160
- Friday and Saturday morning – £172
- Saturday afternoon – £475
- Sunday and bank holidays – £545
Register office
Monday – Thursday, Saturday morning – £135.50. This booking is for the couple and 2 adult witnesses only, a simple ceremony with no additional readings, or music. The room will be unavailable at other times.
Champagne toast (Register office only) £9 per person
Registrar attendance fees
Chadderton Town Hall
Fee included in room booking price
Other approved venues in Oldham
- Monday – Thursday – £460.50
- Friday and Saturday – £475
- Sunday and bank holidays – £545
Housebound marriage attendance (including certificate) – £211.50
Registrar attendance at church (including certificate) – £116.50
Civil partnerships
Couples can now choose to have either a marriage or a civil partnership. Unlike marriages, the law in respect of civil partnerships does not require a ceremony, just the signing of a declaration before witnesses, but couples can choose to add a ceremony if they wish.
To qualify, both partners must be 18 years old. They must not already be married or in a partnership. The partners cannot be related to each other in any way.
Civil partnership conversions
Those in an existing civil partnership who wish to convert their partnership to a marriage can do so.
This is an administrative process but couples can choose to add a ceremony if they wish.
A civil partnership conversion can be booked at any register office regardless of where a couple lives or where the civil partnership originally took place.
Evidence of name, age, address, and a civil partnership certificate will be required at the appointment.
You can complete the process in one appointment providing both parties attend with the correct documents or you can choose to provide the documentation at one venue and sign the declaration at another venue or on a different date if you wish to have a ceremony as well as the legal process.
There is a fee of £50 to cover this service.
For advice, please call us on 0161 770 8960.
Eligibility and special circumstances
In some circumstances, you may require additional permissions to get married.
Foreign nationals without the right to live in the UK
If you are a foreign national without the right to live in the UK and do not have settled status in the UK, a marriage or civil partnership visa or evidence of immigration status, your application to get married has to, by law, be referred to the Home Office Immigration team for further investigation.
It can take between 28 days and 70 days for cases to be considered so please apply in advance.
If either partner is a foreign national or an EEA national unable to prove settled status you will need to give notice together.
For advice, please call us on 0161 770 8960.
We advise you to read the guide to getting married in the UK published by the UK Border Agency:
Weddings outside Oldham
If you’re planning to get married outside Oldham either in the UK or overseas you may still be able to give notice by booking an appointment with us.
For advice, please call us on 0161 770 8960.
Emergency arrangements
On occasions, people wish to get married at very short notice, whether as a result of illness or other special circumstances.
If you feel you may qualify for special dispensation for an emergency wedding please call us on 0161 770 8960.
Outside of normal office hours, please call 0161 770 2222.
Urgent marriages
Where one party is seriously ill and not expected to recover, a ceremony can take place using a Registrar General’s Licence from the Registration district where that person is located.
Where possible you should contact the relevant register office during office hours so the necessary arrangements can be made. If the ill person is in an Oldham hospital, the staff at the hospital should be able to help.
Ceremonies under Registrar General's Licence can take place at any location including people’s homes, hospitals and hospices.
A letter from the Doctor in medical attendance is required. We have provided two sample letters that doctors can use as a template. Please note that the marriage letter can only be used for marriages and the civil partnership letter for civil partnerships.
To arrange a Registrar General’s Licence please contact 0161 770 8963 during office hours. We are open Tuesday – Friday from 9am – 5pm and Saturday 9am – 12noon.
If you need to contact us at any other time please ring our emergency out of hours service (0161 770 2222) who will arrange for a member of the Registration Team to contact you.
Template letters when applying for a Registrar General’s Licence
Please ask the doctor responsible for the care of the patient to use the templates provided to prepare their letter. The letter should be on headed paper. Please note that there are two templates, one for marriage and another for civil partnerships: