Sikh Wedding In Uk: Legal And Gurdwara Process

[sunny_love_kirtan]

A friend of mine who belongs to a punjabi family and is a US citizen is planning to get married in UK with a British citizen.

What is the procedure of legal and gurdwara wedding over there in UK?

I heard some kind of permission both fiancées have to obtain from registry office...

How long does he have to be there for this process prior to actual gurdwara ( anand karaj) ceremony?

Please advice.

[sunny_love_kirtan]

anyone ?

[SSD]

anyone ?

Where does he plan on living, because usually one country makes the wedding legal, and you don't want to go through the process twice.

[sunny_love_kirtan]

USA

[simran345]

https://www.gov.uk/marriages-civil-partnerships/giving-notice-at-your-local-register-office

All the information u want should be in the above link.

Also like SSD said depends where they will live, u can look on the US embassy website too. All info is there.

[ms514]

VAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA, VAHEGURU JI KI FATEH

First, you have to apply for a marriage visa through the British Embassy.

The civil marriage must take place beforehand. I believe you must give notice 16 days in advance of the marriage. Once complete, the Gurdwara marriage can take place.

If the registrar (administrator of the marriage) learns that you plan to do a Gurdwara marriage prior to civil marriage, they can refuse to do the civil marriage.

Many Gurdwaras have a registrar in the Gurdwara to facilitate an all in one marriage process, so the civil and Gurdwara marriage is all done on the same day and no separate civil ceremony is required.

Advice: Get there with time to spare (definitely > 16 days, preferably a month to 1.5 months), book with a Gurdwara that has a registrar (not all do) and communicate with that registrar that the person to be married to is a US citizen. The registrar should be confirming all information and facilitate a smooth process. Booking a Gurdwara in advance is important and having a registrar present there is also very important. Otherwise, you have to do the split religious and civil cermony (more hassle and planning). Make sure the registrar you speak to is the same one booked for the anand karaj, so they are completely aware of the particular details and not have any last minute, "I didn't know that" moments.

Refer to the website documented above, but make sure the UK person is in communication with the registrar locally so it goes smoothly.

I am a US citizen who married a UK citizen who had to undergo this process, but that was a few years ago. The website above should be the most updated and the registrar would be the best. the advice above is practical experience of a lot of running around, hassle, stress and annoyance - things you don't want to associate with your anand karaj.

[JagsawSingh]

Technically, I can see the day coming when a disgruntled Sikh bride or groom applies to the Family Court to have her or his marriage declared null and void...i.e not a legal marriage at all, and use as a tool the clear illegal mistakes that are being made up and down the UK when it comes to the civil ceremony being conducted within the Gurdwara.

The Law on this issue is very clear. If that civil ceremony includes any religious aspect...or even conducted in a religious room....than it is, according to the Law, a failed marriage attempt.

I've been to weddings all over the UK where it is clear that the Gurdwara committee member conducting the ceremony doesn't really understand this aspect of the Law. In fact, I attended a wedding in the Midlands a couple of years ago where the civil ceremony was actually conducted in the darbar hall as the bride and groom were about to have their anand karaj.

The point is, the Sikh community and the Sikh Gurdwaras in the UK will only learn this harsh lesson when an actual case comes before the Courts. That day isn't too far away and there's no doubt it will open a pandora's box.