Banns required for registry office?

secretgroom

As the name suggests. I am getting married kind of in secret. In a registry office just me my gf and the witnesses. We have made our appointment but have yet to meet with the registrar.

We are wondering if apart from the information on the meeting checklist - birth certs, PPS nums, proof of address, names date of births of witnesses etc - is there a requirement to place an advert or some sort of Banns thing in local newspapers announcing our upcoming union?

We have been told by someone that we should check it out. And while I know the obvious answer is call the registrar I was wondering if anyone here could set me straight for certain. Preferrable someone who has had a registry office wedding. If there is the banns requirement could we get around it in some way to avoid being discovered? For example place the announcement in a not so local paper, so as to avoid discovery.

We would like to keep this day secret and are going to have a family celebration later (there is no reason for the cloak and dagger appart from our desire to keep it as simple as possible).

Thanks

NextSteps

Do you have a mad wife locked up in your attic, by any chance?

I don't think you have to post banns, but as you say yourself, phone the registrar.

ash_18x

no, you do not have to do this! we got married by a registrar outside of the registry office in september and didnt have to do it. my brother got married in a registry office two years ago and he didnt either!

secretgroom

Spoke the Registrar. Banns are a thing of the past and not required for Registry Office weddings. Thanks for the replies.