Marriage Registration changes
From May 4th 2021, the way in which marriages are registered will change. It will mean the paperwork will be a little different for clergy and administrators. This page will guide you through the new process and signpost you to information, official guidance and resources to help you with the transition. WHY IS THE MARRIAGE REGISTRATION PROCESS CHANGING?The new registration process will enable all marriages to be recorded and stored online which has many practical benefits. As the changes were being considered, it was also an opportunity for the General Register Office (GRO) to enable the details of mothers to be included on the marriage certificate for the first time. It is an historic change which we are all a part of. HOW WILL THIS IMPACT ON THE PAPERWORK REQUIRED FOR CHURCH WEDDINGS?It will impact in these three main ways:-
WATCH OUR WEBINARBroadcast on Monday, April 26th, the Revd Canon Sandra Millar, Head of Life Events, and Neil Turpin, Chief Clerk at the Faculty Office, offered this explanatory and Q&A webinar session. FAQSWe’ve compiled and answered as many questions as we can relating to the changes – this document covers many of the most commonly asked questions, so please refer to it before contacting us or your diocesan office (link opens Word doc)>> Marriage-Registration-FAQs-lastupdate11June21 USEFUL LINKS AND RESOURCES
HOW THE LIFE EVENTS DIARY CAN HELPThe Life Events Diary is a bespoke software package for churches to manage the data collection and admin required for baptisms, weddings and funerals. You need to collect personal information for all of these services, and the Life Events Diary keeps it safe, secure and in line with GDPR. It can also help you manage and use the data to keep in touch with all those contacts. In light of the marriage registration changes, it will be possible to create a completed Marriage Document from within the the Life Events Diary ready to print off for each wedding. You’ll be collecting details about couples for each wedding anyway, so it will already be stored in the Diary. With a few simple clicks, you can import a couple’s details into the Marriage Document. Watch the tutorial video if you’d like to see how easy it is. NB: Having a Life Events Diary account is entirely optional – you can still obtain and complete the Marriage Document without one – simply download it as instructed by the GRO. The aim of the Life Events Diary is to streamline many of the tasks you need to do for Life Events administration, and this is one of the things it can help with too. |