Religious and belief marriages (Humanist)
Officiants
Ministers, priests, pastors and chaplains who will be solemnising marriages must be nominated to the Registrar General by their religious organisation. They are known as officiants.
Humanist celebrants officiate at belief marriages. You still need to give notice at the Registration Office in Belfast City Hall if you are having a humanist ceremony in the Belfast district. The process for giving notice is the same as a religious notice. For more information, go to humanists.uk/northern-ireland (link opens in new window).
Notice of Marriage
If you choose to have a religious or belief marriage, and the venue is in the Belfast district, you will need to give notice of your marriage at City Hall. The process and forms are the same as a civil marriage. You need to get a least one of the forms signed by the officiant.
Collecting and returning your schedule
You need to make an appointment online to collect and return your schedule. You can do this at www.belfastcity.gov.uk/marriages.
The marriage schedule must be collected personally by either party from the Registrar no earlier than 14 days before the marriage. An officiant can only solemnise a marriage when he or she has received the marriage schedule.
The completed schedule should be returned to City Hall within three working days.
The Registrar will register the marriage and you can purchase certified copies.
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