To get married in London, you each give notice at the register office for the borough where you live, at least 29 days before the wedding. You can then marry in any borough: at a register office, at a licensed venue, or in a religious building registered for marriages. This guide covers notice, where to marry, costs, timings, travel charges, park permits and multicultural weddings.
The short answer: Book your ceremony venue first, then give notice in your home borough (£46.50 each from April 2026) between 12 months and 29 days before the wedding. A town hall ceremony room costs from about £190 midweek; a licensed venue adds a registrar’s fee to the hire. Allow extra travel time on Saturdays.
For Kent and Surrey too, start with our local guide to weddings in London, Kent and Surrey.
Where do I give notice of marriage in London?
Each London borough is its own registration district. You give notice, by appointment, in the borough where you live, not the one where you marry. You must have lived there for the past 7 days (Islington asks for eight), and if you live in different boroughs, you each give notice in your own. If either of you isn’t a British or Irish citizen, different rules may apply, so check gov.uk.
| Notice in London | What gov.uk and the councils say (checked October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Earliest | 12 months before the wedding |
| Latest | At least 29 days before; the notice is displayed for 28 days |
| If referred to the Home Office | The notice period can be extended to 70 days |
| Fee from 6 April 2026 | £46.50 per person, or £63 if referred |
| What it covers | Only the venue named on the notice |
Because the notice names your venue, book the venue first. Our guide to getting married legally in England and Wales has the full process, including religious weddings.
Register office, licensed venue or religious building?
London gives you three legal routes, and many couples combine two.
- A register office. From a statutory room for the two of you and two witnesses to council chambers for 100 or more. Nothing religious in the ceremony, though a blessing afterwards is fine.
- A licensed venue. Hotels, museums and historic houses approved by the council. The registrars come from the venue’s borough: Beckenham Place Park, for example, is in Lewisham, so Lewisham’s registrars attend.
- A religious building. Legal if the building is registered for marriages and an authorised person or registrar is present; if not, you add a civil ceremony. Most Church of England weddings use banns, so speak to the vicar first.
Outdoor civil ceremonies are legal only within a licensed venue’s grounds, so a “park wedding” means a venue in or beside the park: Pembroke Lodge in Richmond Park has a licensed outdoor Oak Gazebo. For venues just over the county line, see getting married in Surrey.
Your wedding, where to marry, and what to book first
| Your wedding | Where to marry | What to book first |
|---|---|---|
| The two of you and two witnesses | The statutory room at a register office | The statutory slot (some are for residents only), then notice |
| A town hall wedding for 20 to 100 guests | A ceremony room in any borough | The room, usually with a deposit, then notice naming it |
| Ceremony and reception under one roof | A licensed hotel, house or museum | The venue date, then that borough’s registrars, then notice |
| A church wedding | Your parish church | A conversation with the vicar about banns and dates |
| A Sikh, Hindu or Muslim ceremony | A gurdwara, mandir or mosque | Ask whether the building is registered for marriages; if not, book a civil ceremony too |
| A Jewish wedding | A synagogue or venue | Your rabbi or synagogue office, who will explain the registration |
Our London register offices guide compares the town halls, and small wedding venues in London and Kent covers 10 to 50 guests. For a register office day, see how we cover civil ceremonies.
How much does it cost to get married in London?
According to the Bridebook UK Wedding Report 2026, the average London wedding costs £26,986, about 31% more than the UK average of £20,604. Tagvenue’s 2026 cost index puts average London venue hire at £4,700.
The legal part is the smallest part. Notice costs £93 for a couple. A statutory ceremony is £62 in most London borough fee tables we checked in October 2026 (Camden lists £74.50, Westminster £84.50). Town hall ceremony rooms run from about £190 midweek in Tower Hamlets to £1,588 for a peak Saturday in Old Marylebone Town Hall’s Westminster Room (2026/27 fees). At a licensed venue you pay the registrars on top of the hire: in Lewisham, £649 Monday to Thursday and £906 on a Saturday (2026/27).
Weekdays save money almost everywhere, and our own Monday to Thursday and winter rates are lower too: get a price for your date.
How far in advance should I book a London wedding venue?
Tagvenue’s figures show a median of 183 days from enquiry to event in London, but it advises 9 to 12 months, and up to 18 months for peak dates. Some statutory rooms have long queues: Greenwich says residents can wait six months or more. The order is venue, then suppliers, then notice. Our month-by-month wedding planning checklist sets out the rest.
When is the best time of year to get married in London?
ONS figures for 2023 put 14.3% of marriages in England and Wales in August, the busiest month, and 2.6% in January, which Bridebook’s 2026 report also finds is the cheapest month.
Light shapes the day as much as the date. London sunset is around 21:20 in late June and around 15:50 in mid-December, so in winter a ceremony around 13:00 leaves daylight for portraits. Met Office averages show about eight rain days a month even in May, July and September, so plan for rain. If December appeals, read our guide to winter wedding photography.
Getting around: the Congestion Charge and ulez
Figures from TfL, checked October 2026:
- ULEZ covers every London borough. Non-compliant cars, vans and minibuses pay £12.50 a day.
- The Congestion Charge is £18 a day in central London, 07:00 to 18:00 on weekdays and 12:00 to 18:00 at weekends. There’s no exemption for wedding or historic cars; vehicles with nine or more seats can get a 100% discount once registered with TfL.
Cars built before 1973 are exempt from ULEZ, but TfL doesn’t say whether a hired wedding car qualifies, so ask the hire company. Traffic matters more: from our Beckenham studio, Charing Cross is around 35 minutes on empty roads and 45 to 60 in traffic, longer on Saturdays. Our guide to wedding day travel in London and the South East covers coaches, guest trains and buffers.
Can you take wedding photos in London’s parks?
Yes, with permission. Every Royal Park, including Hyde Park, Greenwich Park and Richmond Park, needs a wedding photography permit (£100 plus VAT per photographer, 10 days’ notice, checked October 2026). Our guide to London wedding photo locations and permits explains who issues what. For portraits near a town hall, see London city wedding photography; for a pre-wedding session, engagement shoots in London.
Multicultural weddings in London
ONS 2022 figures published by Bridebook show 87% of London weddings are civil, the highest share of any region, but Ealing (70%), Hounslow (74%) and Redbridge (79%) have far more religious ceremonies.
Many multicultural London weddings combine a civil ceremony for the legal part, a religious ceremony in a gurdwara, mandir, mosque, synagogue or church, and a reception at a hotel or banqueting hall, sometimes over several days. Each place sets its own booking steps and photography guidance, so ask early about parking, timings, food and what photographers and filmmakers may do.
Our guide to gurdwara weddings in London and Kent and our Asian weddings page go further, and our older post on wedding venues for hire across London has reception ideas.
From behind the camera
The London weddings that run most smoothly are the ones where someone has walked the route. Before a town hall wedding I check where the registrars want us, whether the photographer counts in the room’s numbers, and where we can step outside without blocking the next couple. Before a two-venue day, I time the drive on the same weekday as the wedding, because a short hop on a Tuesday morning can take three times as long on a Saturday afternoon.
On film, London is loud: buses, sirens, planes. Small, discreet microphones, agreed with the registrar or officiant, keep your vows and speeches clear.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I give notice of marriage in London?
At the register office for the London borough where you live, by appointment, not the borough where you plan to marry. You must have lived there for the past 7 days, and partners living in different boroughs each give notice in their own. Give notice between 12 months and 29 days before the wedding. It costs £46.50 per person from April 2026.
Can you get married in Hyde Park?
Not in the open park, as far as we can find. A civil ceremony must take place at a licensed venue or within its grounds, and we know of no licensed ceremony spot in Hyde Park. Couples marry at a licensed venue nearby, then go into the park for portraits with a Royal Parks wedding photography permit, booked at least 10 days ahead.
What is the cheapest way to get married in London?
A statutory ceremony at a register office: the two of you, two witnesses and a short ceremony. With notice at £46.50 each and a statutory fee of £62 in most London boroughs (2026/27), the legal cost is under £200 including a certificate. Rooms are small, some are for residents only, and some don’t allow photographers, so ask early.
Keep reading
- London register offices compared, borough by borough: rooms, capacities, fees and photo rules for 16 town halls.
- Wedding day travel in London and the South East: ULEZ, the Congestion Charge and how long to allow between venues.
- Getting married legally in England and Wales: notice, civil and religious ceremonies, and when you need both.
Planning a wedding in town? See how we cover London city weddings, then check your date.
