mikec81

My wife and I got married in the US (both from England) and have been living here for a couple of years now. We have planned a church wedding back in the UK (for the family for the most part as our civil ceremony here was pretty low key and just the two of us...) in the Catholic church we were brought up near to, and have everything organized. Or at least we thought we did.
We have been told that the registry office require 7 days residency in the UK before you can apply to register the marriage, and then there is a further 16 days to wait before the license is given. This is going to be impossible for us as it would involve being back in England for about 4 weeks in total. Given that we both get about 11 vacation days a year, we have a problem!
Sorry this is a bit long winded, but I guess my question is whether anyone has had to deal with this, and if there is any way around it?

meauxna

Yeah, we got married in Greece instead.

Englishtart

Yes it is true, we got married in England, we had to be there for two weeks before the wedding to get the banns read in the church and to fulfil requirements for the license etc...Well worth it though I thought, it was a lovely wedding and we were married by a Bishop! In a beautiful church

At that time it was important to both of us, having the religious ceremony...these days it wouldn't bother me to get married in a registry office
Good luck, hope you have a great trip

nethead

But surely you only need a 'blessing' type of service as you are already married?

mikec81

We were married in a civil ceremony and wanted the church wedding in the diocese we both grew up, which is the reason for the religious ceremony.
Looks like we are just going to have to make it work somehow then. One option might be to fly back for a week to have the notice registered (7 day residency period), then fly back for another week for the wedding. Two round trips in a month should be fun...

Englishtart

And expensive!!

meauxna

I think you are overshooting this; you are already legally married. You can't get legally married again.
You CAN have a church wedding, whatever you work out with your pastor/minister/priest. You do NOT need a license for this and do not need to meet these waiting times.

If your church requires the banns or some other notice, maybe you can arrange that from where you are now so you can just show up for your ceremony.

Does that make sense?

Bill_S

What meauxna said...

Why are you messing about with the registry office? You're already legally married. Does the Church and or officiant you have in mind know that you are already married?

Englishtart

Duh!! I never even thought of that, Mo is right, being legally married should make it a lot easier as far as time in Country goes

mikec81

I think you guys are right...I got swept up in the wife induced panic and didn't really think about the basic premise of the marriage. I am going to give the priest a call to clarify...

Englishtart

That just makes the rest of us (except Mo and Bill) Numptys!!

nethead

That's what I said... Or was trying to say, at least

meauxna

It's true, you said it first! All credit non-Numpty!

You know my theory, why say it in three words when 36 will do.

Rete

If you are already legally married in the US, how can you legally marry again in the UK? The marriage in the Catholic Church in the UK is only a blessing's ceremony and not an actual wedding/marriage ceremony where you require a license and register the act. So what is the problem?

PS ... My first husband and I had to do this. We married by a justice of the peace and my dad would not believe us married until we married in our Catholic Church. It was just like a first time wedding but with the paperwork for the state filing.

nethead