Urgent marriage or civil partnership

The Registrar General can authorise marriages/civil partnerships to take place at short notice. This is in circumstances where one of the parties is seriously ill, not expected to recover and cannot be moved to a place where a marriage or civil partnership could normally take place. This is known as a marriage/civil partnership by Registrar Generals Licence.

A service is available for urgent arrangements to be made for marriages or civil partnerships by Registrar General's Licence. The service can be accessed by contacting us or, if outside normal opening hours, by telephoning Wakefield Council Contact Centre on 0345 8 506 506 between 8:30am and 5pm, Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays excluding Christmas Day.

If this is not your circumstance, and need to arrange a ceremony due to exceptional circumstances, please email ceremonies@wakefield.gov.uk.

Please provide detailed information as to your circumstances and documentary evidence to support your request.