How long to get UK marriage certificate?

Sorry if this has been asked before...I searched then got frustrated and decided to just ask!

Basically...we've moved our wedding back to the 30th of March next year to give us a bit more time to plan and get things sorted out with moving and stuff before the wedding.  I'd like to go over there sometime in October, which would put the 6 month expiration mark for my fiancee visa sometime in April. 

My question is...how long should I leave to allow time for getting the marriage certificate and all that stuff so I can send it off for FLR?  I really don't want to cut it close!  I was thinking of going out there mid-October.  Would I be able to get the UK marriage certificate and send it off to get my FLR before mid-April with a March 30th wedding?

If you get married in church, you get your certificate as soon as the ceremony is over.  No idea about registry offices - but I suspect it is the same.

Oooh, that would be good!  We're getting married in a registry office.

Registry office you get it there and then.  Church - it depends what church.  If it's C of E, then same day.



Victoria

Yup we got married in registry office and got it then and there!

Thanks everyone!

At a registry office wedding, signing the certificate is part of the ceremony.

I don't know if Scotland is different than England, but ours went like this:
We got married on a Saturday afternoon in a Catholic church.  Immediately following the ceremony, we went into the back of the church and all signed the certificate (myself, DH, best man, maid-of-honour, and priest).  DH and I returned the certificate to the local registrar on Monday, and we waited while they made the certified copy for us.

That is how it works if you marry in a Roman catholic church, as Roman Catholic priests are not registrars as C of E vicars are.

Victoria

That is how it works if you marry in a Roman catholic church, as Roman Catholic priests are not registrars as C of E vicars are.
Victoria

Ah ha!  That makes sense.  So since we were in Scotland, if we got married in the C of S, I guess it would be the same as C of E in England?

I guess so. But I've never been to a Church of England wedding so I am not entirely sure.


Victoria

At our church (Elim Pentecostal) one of the staff is a registrar.  We signed the register as part of the ceremony and by the time we'd done some pictures outside the church she had our official copies for us. 

So I guess for (non C of E) churches it depends on the church.