Weddings

If you are a couple who recently got engaged, Mazal Tov. We at Loughton Synagogue would love to be part of your special day!

1.

Marriage and Membership

You will need to secure the date of the wedding with Rabbi Abrams. The synagogue administrator will be able to help with your wedding booking, arranging the registrar and paperwork required by the synagogue together with various membership forms to be completed (this will vary depending on whether one of you is currently a member of the Synagogue). It is a requirement of English and Welsh law that either the bride or the groom needs to be a member of the officiating synagogue responsible for the marriage (regardless of whether the chuppah is in a synagogue or a venue). Loughton synagogue is the synagogue providing the registrar for the day of the wedding.

Please note:

When choosing a venue for the chuppah and function the wedding reception must be catered under the supervision of a recognized kashrut authority. Since some venues will not permit an outside caterer to work on their premises, it is important to bear this in mind before the venue is booked. Please contact Rabbi Abrams for more information about this.

2.

Contact the Rabbi

Register your forthcoming marriage 

For every marriage, a marriage authorisation application needs to be submitted, followed by a personal marriage authorisation meeting.

Before the wedding can take place under orthodox auspices, you will both need to provide documentary evidence that you are Jewish and eligible to marry.  

Once your application has been submitted and reviewed, you will be contacted by a Rabbi to arrange a meeting with you both.  This meeting forms part of the process and you will be asked to bring all original copies, from the scanned application documents to the meeting for the Rabbi to verify.

The marriage authorisation meeting also gives an opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have and to hear about Loughton Synagogue, a very special Synagogue we hope you will be part of for many years to come.

3.

 Arrange your local Registrar Certificates

Although you are marrying through the Synagogue, you both need to still register your marriage with the local authorities for the civil records. These certificates can be arranged up to twelve months before your wedding, providing both the date and venue are confirmed.

The registrar will issue each of you with a certificate at the conclusion of the notice period (29 days). (NOTE: if either one or both of the parties are NOT an EEA national, the 29 clear days may increase to 70 clear days). For further information please check with your local Registrar Authority for guidance. Please ask at your local authority meeting the process for collecting the original certificates.

https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council

Note: if you are holding your wedding at a venue i.e. hotel or non-synagogue venue please make it known to the Registrar that you are marrying under the auspices of Loughton Synagogue.