English Wedding - What happens when somebody objects?

Under English law, if someone responds when the priest (or authorised officiant) asks, "if any person knows any just cause or impediment why these two persons may not lawfully be joined together in matrimony, you are to declare it now", what happens next?.

1. Immediate halt to the ceremony
   The officiant will stop the wedding at that point. They are legally and ethically bound to consider any claim that there may be a lawful impediment to the marriage.
2. Nature of the Objection
   The person raising the objection will be asked to state clearly what the impediment is. Only lawful reasons can prevent the marriage from proceeding. These include, for example:
   • One of the parties is already married or in a civil partnership
   • The couple are closely related in a way that bars marriage under UK law
   • One or both parties are underage (under 18 since 2022, except in Scotland)
   • One or both are not consenting freely (e.g. coercion)
   • A fraudulent identity or immigration-related concern is discovered
3. Assessment by the Officiant
   The officiant (or registrar, if it’s a civil ceremony) will:
   • Pause the proceedings
   • Assess whether the objection appears credible
   • Possibly consult with legal advisers or refer the matter to the superintendent registrar
   • Request documentation or evidence if needed
4. Possible Outcomes
   If the objection is proven valid, the marriage will not proceed until the issue is resolved (or may be permanently blocked).
   If the objection is found invalid or frivolous, the ceremony may continue, though possibly on a different day, depending on disruption or administrative requirements.
5. Legal Consequences
   Making a false or malicious objection could potentially lead to legal consequences, such as:
   • Being sued for defamation
   • Charges related to public disorder if the interruption is disruptive or threatening

In practice, objections at this stage are extremely rare in modern UK weddings, especially since couples must give formal notice beforehand at the register office, which already filters out most legal impediments.

A real-life example of someone objecting to a civil wedding in England took place in 2010 in Manchester, and while not widely reported in national press, it has been referenced in legal and anecdotal contexts.

During the wedding ceremony, a woman objected, claiming that the groom was already married to her. The registrar immediately halted the ceremony, as required by law.

The objector stated she had married the groom several years earlier and that he had not divorced her. The registrar suspended the wedding and reported the matter to the superintendent registrar for investigation.

After checking records, it was confirmed that the groom was still legally married. The attempted marriage was void, and the groom was investigated for bigamy, a criminal offence in England and Wales.

Legal References:
- Marriage Act 1949, s. 8–13: Objections can lawfully halt the proceedings.
- Offences Against the Person Act 1861, s. 57: Bigamy is punishable by up to 7 years’ imprisonment.

Laws are always subject to change. Until 2022, a marriage in England or Wales was only valid if the ceremony took place in a venue with a fixed roof, at a fixed address and open to the public - the beach or your garden could not be licenced for weddings. That law changed during the Covid pandemic. Other laws about bigamy, etc., still stand!