Are marriage records public?

In the UK and Ireland, marriages are documented by both government administrators and the church. While civil registration of marriages started in England and Wales in 1837, church marriage records go back as far as 1538.  

You can find your ancestors’ marriage records by searching digitised versions of these records online. Websites like Findmypast provide access to millions of British and Irish marriage records. 

When searching for a particular marriage record, gather all the information you know – this will make it easier to locate what you’re looking for. Key details you may want to use are: 

• Both spouses’ full names, including maiden names 
• Approximate marriage year 
• Location  
• Religious denomination, if known  

Search online marriage records using the above information. If your search returns an overwhelming number of results, you may want to try narrowing down your parameters by getting more specific about the location or year.  

Be sure to check both civil and church records to ensure that you’ve covered all bases. Some marriages, particularly those before the 19th century, were only recorded in church records, so you won’t find them in civil marriage collections. 

If you’d like a copy of a specific marriage certificate, you can order one from the General Register Office (GRO) for England and Wales. In Ireland, you can request one from the General Register Office of Ireland, while Scottish certificates are provided via the Scotland’s People website. 

A full marriage certificate may contain details that aren’t included on the digitised record. You may discover spouses’ fathers’ names, occupations and more.  

To order a marriage certificate, you’ll be asked to provide both spouses’ names, the date and place of their marriage, and the record reference number (if you have it). After paying a processing fee, you’ll get the certificate sent to you in the post or via email.