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There are many thousands of Jewish people who currently live here in the UK, and for those who wish to marry according to traditional Jewish law it is essential that they also take in to consideration the UK law when it comes to marriage. Currently, the legal requirements for a Jewish wedding ceremony in England and Wales are the same as those that apply to civil marriages- this includes giving notice of your marriage to a superintendant registrar by both the bride and groom- and no-one else. The marriage cannot go ahead unless the legal formalities have been completed; otherwise the UK will consider the marriage unlawful and invalid.
Jewish weddings usually take place in a synagogue, the Jewish place for worship. If the synagogue of your choice is in a different district to where you live, you will have to prove to the superintendant registrar that this is your normal place of worship. If you can’t, you will then have to give notice in the registration district where the synagogue is situated after having met the necessary residency requirement, however, if there is no synagogue in your district you will be permitted to marry in your nearest one. A superintendant registrar won’t necessary have to be present at your ceremony. The secretary of the synagogue usually has a licence to keep a marriage register and this will be enough, although there must be two witnesses present to sign the marriage certificate. If the secretary does not have a licence, only then would a superintendant registrar have to attend to record the wedding legally.
At least three months before the wedding, you will also need to register with the chief Rabbi situated in London. You will have to take both sets of parents with you to the appointment where you will be asked to sign a form called a Get (a religious decree of divorce according to Jewish law), like a pre-nuptial in case you decide to divorce later on in life. This is to allow the couple to remarry in the eyes of God. If you can’t get to London you are allowed to complete this by post, but if you are already living together some Rabbis could refuse to marry you.
Whilst Jewish people in the UK will have to uphold these laws, any non-Jewish guests such as friends will have to follow the proper traditions if attending a Jewish wedding. There is a small set dress code for both the male and female guests so you may want to discuss this with them so that they don’t get caught unawares. It is customary for females to keep their shoulders and arms fully covered, though at some Liberal and Reform weddings it is acceptable to wear a strappy dress and cover the shoulders during the ceremony, and all women should traditionally keep their heads covered- a smart wedding hat may be enough. The men tend to wear suits which is fine but they will also need to wear a ‘yarmulke’ (a white skull cap) and it is wise idea for the groom to provide plenty of these for the non-Jewish men.
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