Before making the essential preparations for your wedding and practicing your much-awaited, I do’s, you will need to consider some helpful tips before getting married in the UK. After all, immigrants will have to go through more processes before tying the knot with their partner in the UK.
It’s vital to deal with these immigration marriage UK processes to avoid hassling experiences on your very special day. With that being said, here are some tips you should consider when getting married in the UK.
1. Make Sure That You Have All the Necessary Documents
Of course, before anything else, it’s important that you have the necessary documents to be able to marry in the UK. These documents include the following:
- Documentation regarding your name (birth certificate, valid passport, etc.)
- Documentation regarding your age (birth certificate etc.)
- Documentation regarding your nationality (passports, national ID, etc.)
- Documentation regarding your home address (utility bills, driver’s license, etc.)
In addition, depending on your circumstances, you may also need the following documents below:
- A death certification of your deceased partner
- An entry visa
- Complete information about your planned wedding
Once you’ve acquired the necessary documents for your wedding, you will need to notify your area’s register office for a minimum of 28 days before the marriage takes place. Moreover, both you and your partner must have resided in the UK for at least seven days before notifying them.
2. Choose the Right Visa Type for Your Marriage in the UK
In order to get married in the UK, you will have to apply for either a marriage visitor visa or a fiancé visa. Both visas are made outside of the country and permit you to marry in the UK within six months. However, despite their similarities, these two visa types have their differences.
The fiancé visa is ideal for those who wish to marry in the UK and apply for a spouse visa afterward. Obtaining a spouse visa will allow you to remain in the country for 33 months. Furthermore, you can also extend your stay in the country and eventually qualify for indefinite leave.
On the other hand, the marriage visitor visa permits you to stay and get married in the UK for six months. However, after that six-month period, you will have to leave the country. Due to that requirement, you must also provide further proof that you intend to leave the country after holding your marriage in the UK.
It’s essential to choose the correct visa based on you and your partner’s plans together. After all, choosing the wrong visa will only lead to more problems. Now, if you don’t know which visa is much more suitable for your situation, you can always talk to professional Total Law immigration lawyers for excellent legal advice.
3. Carefully Pick Your Wedding Location
If you’re not holding a civil wedding at a registered office, then you should carefully consider your wedding location. After all, there are particular places in the UK where wedding venues and other related expenses can get too costly. Moreover, on top of your wedding costs, you will also have to deal with visa fees and other related expenses that will indeed affect your overall budget.
Still, that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice a beautiful wedding venue just to save up on wedding costs. Besides, the UK is home to several stunning wedding locations, so finding the ideal venue that suits your budget and preferences shouldn’t be too hard.
4. Find an Appropriate Venue for Your Religious Wedding
Other than carefully selecting a wedding location to save up on wedding expenses, you will also have to select a wedding venue that caters to you and your partner’s religion. Fortunately, you can research various registered offices and venues in the UK to see which venue holds a wedding for your religion. You can also simply ask your selected wedding venue for more details about this.
5. Try to Incorporate Some Wedding Traditions and Customs in the UK
Although this part is optional, you can still consider some wedding traditions and customs done in traditional UK weddings. For instance, you can hire bagpipe musicians for your wedding. You can also try including a good luck charm in your wedding gown, just like most British brides do. Again, this part is all up to you, and you can freely exclude holding traditional UK wedding traditions and customs if it’s not to your liking.
Wrapping Up
These are just some tips you need to consider when getting married in the UK. By ensuring to consider all these tips above, your wedding in the UK will surely go as planned. Moreover, if dealing with these processes is too difficult for you and your partner to handle on your own, you can reach out to expert immigration lawyers to help out with your case.
