The ‘original’ marriage certificate would have been issued at the time of marriage. If it is lost, then it is unfortunately gone for good. You can order a certified copy of your marriage certificate online.

An original UK marriage certificate between two people is the record of the ceremony of marriage.

In the UK, all marriages are registered by law. Records are available from:

• England & Wales from 1837
• Scotland from 1855
• Northern Ireland from 1864
• Republic of Ireland from 1845

Marriage certificates are certified documents. Part of the registration process which is performed by the Government, is to create a marriage record, this is usually created by a registrar. From this record a certified copy of the certificate is issued.

At the time of marriage, the registrant was responsible for ensuring the marriage records were completed and entered accurately. However, this cannot always be guaranteed, for reasons such as human error, illiteracy on the registrants’ part, and errors of transcription on the registrar’s part.

Any future or new UK marriage certificates will be a ‘certified copy’, which is a copy of the original entry (or extract) made in the Official Registers. The details are the original details entered at the time of registration, and are the reference points the UK government would refer to.

A seal or stamp on the certificate indicates the certificate is suitable for official purposes and are essential when proving a change of name once married.

Should you require a new certified copy of a UK marriage certificate, UK Document Services can help. The most effective way to get the ball rolling on this, is for you to order online. Simply complete all the relevant fields on the order form and the order will be processed accordingly.

To find out more about our replacement marriage certificate service, click here.