New UK marriage regulations from 1st February

From 1st February 2005, anyone subject to UK immigration control (ie anyone not a British or EU citizen) has to have special permission to marry in the UK. You have to give notice at certain approved register offices (76 in England and Wales, all are approved in Scotland and Northern Ireland) but you can actually get married at any register office. Church of England weddings remain unaffected.
If you do not have a fiance visa and plan to settle in the UK, you will not be allowed to marry. Even if you don't intend to settle (ie you plan to live in the US, or even in the case of two foreign citizens who just want a 'destination' wedding like a Scottish Castle etc), you must get entry clearance before you travel to the UK. The new EC is called a 'marriage visitor visa.'
The whole thing is really ridiculous. I don't think they will get many takers on the marriage visitor visa. Who is going to go to all that bother? People will just marry in their own country.

Sounds like they're trying to 1) make bogus marriages more expensive and bureaucratic to arrange and 2) make sure that people who are coming to the UK to marry and settle here get the correct visa.

This strikes me, at first glance, as a good thing. But I'm no expert, as I only got married once   

But I'm no expert, as I only got married once

When you do it right the first time...

There's already a thread about this in the Visa section.  Just an FYI...

When you do it right the first time...

But there is some sadness, as I really didn't have enough wedding cake at the time, and I feel a little short-changed. Do you think it would be dodgy to buy another wedding cake, just for eating purposes? Or maybe I could buy one for our next wedding anniversary? It's just good cake, is all.

But there is some sadness, as I really didn't have enough wedding cake at the time, and I feel a little short-changed. Do you think it would be dodgy to buy another wedding cake, just for eating purposes? Or maybe I could buy one for our next wedding anniversary? It's just good cake, is all.

Well, as I feel exactly the same about my wedding (too much Pimms & lemonade, not enough cake!), maybe we could chip in and buy one big wedding cake for the four of us!

But, I have to ask - fruitcake or sponge? 

Hey, get real. A four-person cake is a grand idea, but I'm not going to all this bother for a wimpy piece of sponge-cake 

I was hoping you'd say that!  Fruitcake it is!!!

Phew! We're agreed, then 

But I wonder, does one need a special visa in order to buy a wedding cake in the UK. I mean, isn't this, in fact, a bogus wedding cake? A sham wedding cake?

I don't want to have to wait six months for the cake visa to come through, I want it now!

Sounds like they're trying to 1) make bogus marriages more expensive and bureaucratic to arrange and 2) make sure that people who are coming to the UK to marry and settle here get the correct visa.

This strikes me, at first glance, as a good thing. But I'm no expert, as I only got married once   

1) But to make you get a visa if you don't intend to settle? Doesn't that seem rather stupid? For starters, who's going to go to the trouble of getting such a visa when they can marry more easily in just about any other country in the world. As far as I know no other country in the world has such a policy.

2) Bogus marriages will simply take place abroad instead.

3) It is not up to the UK to say who can and cannot marry. Is it at the point that a foreign spouse applies for permission to stay in the UK that those that are felt to be bogus applications should be weeded out.

4) The destination wedding industry will be very hard hit by this hysterical new law in response the stories in The Sun.. Imagine two Americans or Canadians dream of marrying in a Scottish castle. When they find out they have to apply for a special visa and submit all these documents even though they do not have any immigration rights in the UK and do not intend to stay here at all do you think they will bother to go through with their plans? Or simply say 'sod it' and marry in their own country or another country besides the UK instead?

I think if it was my dream to marry in a Scottish castle and I had to fill out some paperwork for a visa, I would.  A dream is a dream.  You either want it or you don't. 

Let's just hope the US doesn't come up with similar plans (ie those marrying there need a visa even if they aren't going to live there). Then US/UK couples who marry in the US but live in the UK will have to get two lots of visas: marriage visa for US and settlement visa for UK. Because as it stands, those that are doing it the other way around (marry in UK, settle in US) are going to have to get two.

Imagine two Americans or Canadians dream of marrying in a Scottish castle. When they find out they have to apply for a special visa and submit all these documents even though they do not have any immigration rights in the UK and do not intend to stay here at all do you think they will bother to go through with their plans? Or simply say 'sod it' and marry in their own country or another country besides the UK instead?

Cool  , more for us 

We've already had a thread about this somewhere, Garry is kindly keeping us abreast  of the legal requirements.  I take it this affects you marriage plans Ratlover?

Let's just hope the US doesn't come up with similar plans (ie those marrying there need a visa even if they aren't going to live there). Then US/UK couples who marry in the US but live in the UK will have to get two lots of visas: marriage visa for US and settlement visa for UK. Because as it stands, those that are doing it the other way around (marry in UK, settle in US) are going to have to get two.

So what if the US has the same idea?  I mean, it's another hoop to jump through and it's money but if you want to get married, don't you do whatever it takes anyway?  

The Henny Penny routine is tiresome.  The sky isn't falling.