Mums and the Marriage Certificate
Posted: 18th May 2021
In a long awaited update to the law, the names of mothers of brides and grooms in England and Wales will now be added to marriage certificates.
This is a historic change and is the first time they have been able to be added.
It also brings England and Wales in line with the rest of the UK.
Previously the certificate only included the names of the fathers however changes to the Marriage Act mean that now both parents can be included.
In a further change, the recording of any marriage will be via an electronic register as opposed to the traditional registry book. This is intended to speed up and modernise the registration system so it is compatible with the way organisations and people now access and use data.
These amendments were brought about after consultation with key stakeholders including churches and took effect last week.
Further reform of marriage laws remains under way with the soon to be introduced “no fault” divorce currently working its way through Parliament as part of a process of long overdue review and reform of Family law.