The Marriage (Northern Ireland) Order 2003

Solemnisation of civil marriage N.I.

19.—(1) A person shall not solemnise a civil marriage unless—

(a) he has available to him at the time of the ceremony the marriage schedule and the prescribed fee for the marriage has been paid;

(b) both parties to the marriage are present; and

(c) two persons professing to be 16 or over are present as witnesses.

(2) A person shall not solemnise a civil marriage except in accordance with a form of ceremony which—

(a) is of a secular nature; and

(b) includes an appropriate declaration.

(3) In paragraph (2)(b) an “appropriate declaration” means a declaration by the parties, in the presence of—

(a) each other;

(b) the person solemnising the marriage; and

(c) two witnesses,

that they accept each other as husband and wife [F1 or as husband and husband or as wife and wife] .

F1 Words in art. 19(3) inserted (13.1.2020) by The Marriage (Same-sex Couples) and Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1514), regs. 1(2), 4 (with regs. 6-9)