Where to get married

Marrying in a register office

Every register office is different and usually has its own character. In County Durham, marriage facilities are located in the register offices at:

• Aykley Heads House register office
• Bishop Auckland register office

A registrar in each location will be happy to show you the ceremony room before making your choice of location.

See our Ceremony fees.

Marrying in a licensed venue

There are now venues, other than register offices or religious buildings where you can get married, for example civic buildings or hotels. See our Licensed venues for marriages and civil partnerships in County Durham. Gov.uk provides a list of approved premises for marriages and civil partnerships in England and Wales.

See our Ceremony fees.

Marrying in a church

If you are planning a church wedding, you must see the minister of the church in the registration district where you live. Unless your marriage is to be according to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England or Wales, where banns are usually read, you will be required to give notice to the superintendent registrar in whose district you reside.

Usually you must live in the district where you plan to marry unless your place of worship is outside the district and you wish to marry there. You may also marry outside the district if there is no building of your religion in your district. In some cases a local registrar may need to attend the service. It is advisable that you check this and confirm the availability before you set a date.