Witnesses – What You Need To Know..

It is required by law that you have to have at least two witnesses accompany you and your new spouse.

These witnesses will sign the wedding registry after your wedding ceremony has taken place.

You need to therefore think very carefully before choosing your witnesses.

Here are a few points to help you to decide on the important jobs for at least two people.

  • They need to be credible witnesses and must be able to speak and understand English.
  • The two witnesses can be friends, relatives or work colleagues and although at present there is no legal age limit, most civil ceremony venues prefer the witnesses to be at least 18 years of age or over. You may be asked to provide a third witness if one of the existing ones are under 18 so be prepared with a standby if this is to be the case.
  • Ask your chosen witnesses well in advance if they would mind doing this important part of your day.
  • It is a nice idea to choose one witness from each family, but go for symmetry here. Examples of this are the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom, the sister of the bride, the sister of the groom etc. This just helps to avoid any conflict.
  • It is best that the couple both personally know the witnesses.
  • The two chosen witnesses are usually from the wedding party but can be anybody that is invited to the wedding itself.

Whoever you choose to do this special job will feel honoured and special so ensure you thank them personally along with your new partner with a special card or token of appreciation.