Marrying in secret

[Longstockin]

Hi, my partner and I have had it rough we want to get married but we want to do this just us, I would love for it to be abroad on a beach but this is proving difficult to research as they all seem to be packages and as stated we would ideally like it to just be the 2 of us. I've never been married nor wanted to get married so have no clue how to go about it. Could you please give me some tips or advice on how we go about a private ceremony here or abroad, thank you

Find the rough location of where you want to get married abroad. Find a wedding planner who works in this location. Speak to wedding planner about what you'd like. Have wedding planner arrange wedding. Be prepared to need to have witnesses to your marriage and the possibility of a legally binding ceremony in the UK (if that's where you are based) at a registry office, if your wedding abroad is purely 'ceremonial' and not legally binding in the country you live in.

Denmark and Gibraltar are the easiest European countries to get married in as a UK citizen.

Regardless, Google elopement packages and that will bring up what you need.

I've no idea how you do it abroad, but just wanted to say go for it!

We eloped (registry office in the UK) and have never regretted it for a second. We also wanted it to be 'just us' with no pressure of dysfunctional families interfering...

Have a wonderful wedding day!

Cornwall have a lot of venues with 2 people packages, and obviously some gorgeous coastline. I can confirm it's worth it!

Loved ours only us a registry office and 30 mins of our time haha...we did have a family party a couple of weeks after but for the getting married part we just wanted us

We just booked the registry office and asked on Mumsnet if anyone was free that day to be witnesses. Lots of kind people responded and the lovely @rainbowmum11 and @katmunchkin came along as witnesses. It was a wonderful stress free wedding - I highly recommend it!

We eloped, got married in a small registry office in Scotland (not Gretna!) . DH did most of the booking online but I think had to fill in a few forms and provide Birth Certificates etc. On the day the registrar pulled a coupe of people off the street to be our witnesses. We had the best day just the two of us.

If abroad - There’s loads of tour operators looking to arrange this, I would choose long distance, look at Kuoni/hayes and Jarvis/Beachcombers, short haul TUI or a local travel agent. Italy, Malta and Cyprus v popular.

UK - pick an area, book either a registry office or hotel

Thank you all 🙌 some of your stories were lovely to read. I will start having a little research now. I know people marry for lots of different reasons, I've never wanted to and never dreamed of a big white wedding it really is just a personal thing between me and him! Thank you again and congrats on the ones who did the same, without knowing the ins and outs I totally appreciate why people choose to do it this way x

A relative and partner booked the local register office and took two witnesses (sibling and sibling-in-law). Nobody else knew. They were happily married until the death of one of them.

We did it. Find a venue and book in-we went to Marylebone town hall. You call your local register office and make an appointment for the pre wedding bit where your take all your documents. There must be 30 days I think (but check) between these two dates.

Turn up, get married. You need two witnesses. My two dd's came for
This part then came for lunch and went home and we stayed out. But you could equally use people off the street if you can find them I suppose. Or ask a mums netter! There was a thing of doing that a few years ago on here.

If it was me, I'd make it as stress-free as possible. I'd have a local registry office wedding (simple and cheap!) and then I'd go on a lovely honeymoon. I wouldn't personally get married abroad as it's more complicated (who needs the stress?!) and it means you are deciding where to travel based on where it's easiest to get married. Get married close to home so it's simple and then go off travelling to somewhere you've always dreamed of without all the extra bureaucratic hassle of planning a wedding.

We had a sunset ceremony in Thailand, just us 2 & dd.

Had a quick registry office do before with our 2 mum's as witnesses to do the legal bit 1st
(We were going to do the whole lot in Thailand but needed to spend more time in Bangkok than we wanted to to go to the embassy for the official paperwork)