Religious marriage to Official Marriage (legal marriage) UK

Cindyyyy

Hi all,

Last year, My husband and I have done the religious marriage in Gurdwara in UK but we didn’t get any certificate. We haven’t done the official marriage (legal marriage) yet because of incomplete documentation of my partner last year. However, at the moment we have all the documents ready. 

We now ready to do it & prefer to do the official marriage instead of civil partnerships. 

My question are,
can we register our legal marriage at registry office? 
can we do the official marriage instead of civil partnership?

If yes, do we need to redo our religious marriage in gurdwara or without it we can still conduct the official marriage at legal office & obtain a legal marriage certificate which is legally recognised?

Highly appreciate your kind responses

Thank you

p00hsticks

Yes, you can get married in a registry office rather than have a civil partnership. 
I'm not familiar with Gurdwada but I'm assuming from what you say that it is not a legally recognised process and therefore would not stop you getting married in a registry office (or other licenced venue). 

For the best information, it is probably simplest if you find the website for your local registry office and see what they say.
for example, this is the one from where I got married a while back
Marriages and civil partnerships | Stoke-on-Trent
 
Once you have decided on a venue, the next step is to make an appointment at the registry office to go through some paperwork and give formal notice of the planned marriage. 

Ayr_Rage

Religious marriages are not recognised in the UK, although it may be important to you and your community, it is not relevant.

If you have the correct documentation then you can legally marry.

DullGreyGuy

Cindyyyy said:

Hi all,

Last year, My husband and I have done the religious marriage in Gurdwara in UK but we didn’t get any certificate. We haven’t done the official marriage (legal marriage) yet because of incomplete documentation of my partner last year. However, at the moment we have all the documents ready. 

We now ready to do it & prefer to do the official marriage instead of civil partnerships. 

My question are,
can we register our legal marriage at registry office? 
can we do the official marriage instead of civil partnership?

If yes, do we need to redo our religious marriage in gurdwara or without it we can still conduct the official marriage at legal office & obtain a legal marriage certificate which is legally recognised?

Highly appreciate your kind responses

Thank you

The UK is unusual in that you can combined the legal and religious element of the marriage into one whereas in many countries they have to be separate events. 

Whilst you have had a religious ceremony you are not legally married. You can either decide to become civil partners or legally married. It won't be a case of "registering" your marriage because in the eyes of the law you aren't married but you can perform the marriage at the registry office. 

If you choose to redo your religious ceremony is purely a decision for you, you would need to speak to the people in the temple to discuss what your options are. For example with Christians they can "repeat their vows" in church but cannot repeat the marriage ceremony because under their faith they were married in the original ceremony irrespective if it was legally recognised or not. 

I dont know the current position of Sikh temples on the legal side of marriage, they certainly used to be able to do combined ceremonies but I know there were concerns raised when same sex marriage was legalised and at least some stopped offering the legal side as a consequence. 

sheramber

https://www.starckuberoi.co.uk/family-divorce/religious-marriage/#:~:text=Other marriage ceremonies such as,office via a legal statement.