Marriage and civil partnership

We are following the advice and guidance from Welsh Government on social distancing and public behaviour. This means the content and format of marriage and civil partnership ceremonies has been reviewed and we have introduced restrictions on the number of people permitted in our ceremony rooms at one time.

Physical distancing will help ensure that officers and visitors are safe and to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The maximum number of people permitted in each room is:

• Register Office – 6 people
• Ceremony Room – 14 people

These figures include two Registrars and the couple.

We will contact couples who have booked a ceremony on a month by month basis. Our priority is to resume ceremonies that are scheduled to take place at the Register Office in July and August before accepting new bookings from September onwards. All bookings will be subject to availability.

We currently conduct ceremonies at approved premises (i.e. hotels) following the social distancing guidelines. We appreciate this uncertainty makes planning difficult and we are very sorry for all couples who are affected by this situation.

Here are some useful questions and answers for couples:

From what date can marriages be solemnized, and civil partnerships formed?

In Wales marriages can be solemnized and civil partnerships formed from 22 June. In England this can take place from 4 July.

Where a person is shielding, can a marriage be solemnized, or a civil partnership formation take place remotely by video conferencing technology?

No, there is no provision within current legislation for a virtual marriage or civil partnership to take place.

Can couples who have already given notice proceed with their marriage / civil partnership if they wish to do so?

Yes, as long as the authorities are still valid and the venue remains the same.

What happens if a notice has been previously given for a venue that is now closed?

A fresh notice is required if the venue changes for a marriage or civil partnership.

The grounds of the register office are lovely – as there is less risk outside can the ceremony take place there instead?

No. A marriage or civil partnership must take place within the venue as detailed on the notice and authority, and as specified in the approval of the premises. The outside space is not included as part of the venue.

Why can’t witnesses use video technology to witness the ceremony?

There is still a requirement within legislation for 2 witnesses to attend to witness a marriage or civil partnership and then sign the register.

Births

Registrations for births that occurred in Anglesey will resume from 1 July, 2020.
Provision has now been made for the registration of births to be undertaken by telephone in-part. This will help us to follow the Government’s guidance on social distancing and public behaviour. To complete the registration, a parent/parents must sign the register in person at the Register Office and we will discuss the arrangements for this when booking an appointment.

For registration of babies born in other counties, please contact the Register Office in the county where the birth occurred e.g.

• Ysbyty Gwynedd

To make an appointment for telephone registration please call the Register Office on 01248 751925 (6) or (7).

Parents can continue to make a claim for child benefit or universal credit prior to the birth being registered, where they have not been able to do so because of these measures.

Further information can be found on https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit/how-to-claim

Deaths and still-births

Provision has now been made for the registration of deaths to be undertaken by telephone. This will help the Registration Service follow the Government’s guidance on essential travel, social distancing and public behaviour. The Registration Service is also working closely with health practitioners to share information electronically to remove the requirement for bereaved families to visit the Register Officer during the current emergency situation.

To make an appointment for telephone registration please call the Register Office on 01248 751925 (6) or (7)

Legally the birth must be registered within 42 days of the child being born.

If your child was born at an address in the Isle of Anglesey, then it must be registered by the Anglesey register Office.

You can go to any register office in England or Wales to provide the necessary details.

Details will be sent to us and we will register the birth and send you the birth certificate. If your child was born outside the county, then you can visit this office and make a declaration of the particulars which will then be sent to the appropriate district.

You will not be issued with any documents by this office if you choose this option. If you want any more certificates other than the statutory free short birth certificate, there will be a fee to pay.

If the parents were married to each other at the time of the birth, either the mother or the father can register the baby.

However, if the parents were not married to each other, the father’s details can usually only be entered in the register if the mother and the father attend the Register Office together to register.

If you are not married and you want the father’s details to be on the birth registration and he is unable to attend for any reason, please contact the Register Office for further advice.

Unmarried couples

From 1 December 2003 there was a change of law, which made it easier for unmarried fathers to get equal parental responsibility. For this both parents need to register the birth of your baby together.

Parental responsibility for your child gives you important legal rights as well as responsibilities. Without it, you do not have any right to be involved in decisions such as where they live, their education, religion or medical treatment. With parental responsibility, you are treated in law as the child’s parent and you take equal responsibility in bringing them up.

Parentline Plus has a free helpline where you can talk through the options and ask for advice. You can call them on 0808 800 2222 or Textphone 0800 783 6783.

Baby

• The date and place of the baby’s birth. If the birth is one of twins, triplets etc the Registrar will also need to know the time of each baby’s birth
• whether it is a boy or girl
• the forenames and surname that it is intended the baby will be brought up with

Father (Where these details are to be entered in the Register)

• His forenames and surname
• his date and place of birth
• his occupation at the time of the baby’s birth or, if he was not working at the time, his previous occupation

Mother

• Her forenames and surname, her maiden name will also be required if she has been married
• her date and place of birth
• her occupation (optional), if she has been employed at any time before the birth

The Registrar will write down the particulars and you will be asked to check that it is correct. The information will then be written in to a Register and you will again be asked to read carefully what has been recorded before you sign to say that everything is correct. It is important that this legal record is checked before it is signed, because it is difficult to correct at a later date.

If you are unsure about anything please ask the Registrar who will try to help you.

General

If the parents were married to each other at the time of the birth the Registrar will ask for the date of the marriage

If the mother has previously had any children by her present or any former husband the Registrar will need to know how many children she has had.

Please remember one of the parents must register the birth personally; they cannot ask a friend or relative to come in instead. 

The child will normally be given the surname of the mother or father (even if the parents are not married to each other and the father does not attend with the mother).

Once the surname has been decided it can only be changed if:

• the parent’s apply for the birth to be re-registered because they are not married to each other and the father’s particulars were not entered in the Register
• the parent’s marry each other after the original registration - in this case the birth should be re-registered even if the child was given the father’s surname at the original registration

For both types of re-registration the Registrar will be pleased to advise you.

An accredited list for court-directed paternity testing can be found on the Justice website.

Please see the Justice website