This Is Jersey

Weddings in Jersey can take place in a variety of locations.

To marry in the Office of the Superintendent Registrar, in approved premises or in a non-Anglican Church:
A licence must be obtained from the Superintendent Registrar. Those between the ages of 16 and 18 must have parental consent before a licence can be issued. Those below the age of 16 are not permitted to marry.

Couples wishing to marry must give formal notice of their intention. This they must do no more than three months and no less than 10 working days before the date of marriage. They may give notice either in person or, if living outside of Jersey, by mail. When giving notice, couples will be required to produce their full birth certificates and if either of them have been previously married, the divorce decree absolute, or if widowed, the death certificate of the late spouse.

Couples will then be required to present themselves in person at the Office of the Superintendent Registrar no less than three working days before the date of the marriage to collect their marriage licence and to complete formalities. Where notice is given in person, the fee for a civil marriage in the Register Office is £175, in approved premises £185 and in a non-Anglican church £115. Where an application is made by post, the fees are £2555, £265 and £195 respectively. This is in addition to whatever charges the church may make. For more information, call the Office of the Superintendent Registrar 441335.

To marry in an Anglican Church:
All Church of England ministers perform not only the marriage ceremony but, because they are authorised registrars, they also register the marriage and issue the marriage certificate. Marriages in the Anglican Church are done through banns or by licence.

In Jersey, marriage by banns is allowed only if both parties are British nationals and live in an area under the jurisdiction of the Church of England, if one of the parties is a resident of the ecclesiastical parish in which the marriage is to be performed, if both parties are 18 years of age or older when the marriage is performed and if the marriage is done after 6am and before 6pm in a church licensed for weddings.

To marry in a church different from the church of residence, the couple must get a licence (Dispense Ordinaire). A Dispense Extraordinaire is needed if the marriage is to be conducted before 6am or after 6pm, if one or both partners are not British nationals, if the marriage is to be held in a church not licensed for weddings (e.g. St Aubin on the Hill, St George, the Fisherman’s Chapel, the manorial chapels, etc).

To obtain either a Dispense Ordinaire or a Dispense Extraordinaire, both parties must appear together before the Dean of Jersey or the Vice Dean within three months of the marriage. They will be required to take an oath stating that there is no legal impediment to their marriage. For more details, contact your parish church or the office of the Dean of Jersey at 720001.

Wedding notices regularly appear in the Jersey Evening Post.