tuzigou

I want to have a marriage ceremony in the UK. I'm a British citizen but my fiance is a foreigner (not EU). We're planning on registering abroad but wanted to have the official ceremony in the UK. Does she need the marriage visitor visa if it's just for the ceremony or can we do it on a tourist visa? We don't plan to register in the UK nor immigrate there as I'll be working abroad, just want the ceremony in the UK.

A3am

We had a marriage blessing and celebration in the UK and just entered on a normal tourist visa. We'd been married for a year and a half at the time (legal ceremony abroad). No questions asked at immigration but we do visit every year and have never overstayed or had any issues. We had our marriage certificate, job contracts, housing tenancy etc to prove we were already married and would be returning. We had many guests travel to the UK from abroad too and none had issues.

SanDiegogirl

If you mean that you will actually get married abroad and you just want a marriage blessing ceremony (renewing of vows etc), then you can do this as a tourist.

Pollyana

If you have the official marriage ceremony in the UK then the celebrant MUST register it in the UK. You can't marry in the UK then choose to have that marriage registered elsewhere. And if the official ceremony is in the UK then she needs a Marriage Visitor visa.
If you only want a blessing in the UK, no need to register that and no need for a visa.

tuzigou

I was planning on registering in another country then having a ceremony in the UK. What's the difference between a ceremony and a blessing?

Dorothy

A ceremony is a legal marriage performed by a person legally authorised to perform marriages. A blessing is when 2 people who are already legally married have a "wedding" without the legalities.

For example, my partner and I are planning to marry next year in Australia where we both live. However we will be having a "wedding" in Canada in a small chaple with a party after where my family and friends can attend.

spouse of scouse

OP - following on from Pollyanna's post above - if your marriage is 'registered' in another country then you already have your marriage certificate and are officially married - you can't then come to the UK and have another 'official' marriage. In other words, you can't get 'officially' married to the same person twice.

A marriage blessing or similar has no legal meaning and no official documentation.