So we have just received our official venue contract through the post and although they have booked the registrar on our behalf (it's on the requirements that they must do this for you); the letter they included with the contract says we now need to phone our council (as we are in Coventry) so they can arrange for us to give notice.

The thing I'm confused about is that the notice only lasts for 12 months and we are getting married on the 12th May next year so wouldn't giving notice now be too early or do we phone the and they arrange an appointment to do so nearer the year time so some time in May this year?

Also one more question; when we do give notice; do we have to pay the £300 ceremony fees there and then or just the giving notice fees

Sorry for the long post but I'm finding this part a bit confusing :S

Oh and in regards to passports; do we need to each have one to give notice as h2b doesn't have one; only his old army one. Mine is fine but does he need one. He'll need one anyway for the honeymoon but was going to order one nearer the time unless he needs one now for notice :S

You ring them under the 12 month mark to give notice, and no you don't pay the ceremony fees there and then, u just pay the giving notice fee of £35 each, the ceremony fees are due 3months before and that's when u give in your notice papers and the form they send u that u fill in with regards to what music etc you're having (as the registrar has to check the words in the songs for religious words) and then let's you know if you can have the songs or not x

It's so exciting! Awww you'll be married the day after hubby and I celebrate our 2nd anniversary.

We did gave notice I think it was 11 months before. My sister and BIL did it 6 months before.

If you want to travel in your married name you'll need to get your passport in your married name which means a couple of months before you needs to get the registry office to certify that you're getting married so that the passport office will issue you with a new passport in your married name. You won't then be able to travel until after you're married so if you have any other foreign trips planned you won't be able to do this.

Most brides just book and travel in their maiden name if going on honeymoon straight after the wedding.

10 months later I'm still travelling in my maiden name ...............even on our first anniversary I'm travelling in my maiden name because I haven't sorted my passport out yet.

3. Getting married or entering a civil partnership


Decide whether to change your name before or after the ceremony - the name on your passport must be the same one you use when you book your travel.

Before the ceremony

You can change the name on your passport up to 3 months before the ceremony. Your old passport will be cancelled.

The new passport is ‘postdated’ - you can’t use it before the ceremony.

Some countries won’t issue visas for post-dated passports - check with the country’s consulate.

You must send a standard passport application form, along with the form ‘passports for newly weds and civil partners’, signed by the religious minister or registrar who will conduct the ceremony. Download the guidance notes if you need help.

After the ceremony

Send the standard passport application along with your marriage or civil partnership certificate.


Any unexpired visas in your old passport may become invalid - check with the country’s consulate.

Sounds like you'll have a lot to do with name changing so good idea to travel in your maiden name.

It's expensive too to get a new passport so I'm waiting for mine to expire before getting a new one. £72.50 is a lot of money.

you can use photographic ID so he should be able to use his birth certificate and a driving licence

I have another 2 years left on mine so we'll not be travelling with the same name for a while yet. Hubby says we're travelling in sin lol.