Liberate
The Marriage and Civil Status (Jersey) Law as amended in 2018 makes the following provisions:
Open-air marriages
Locations will be approved for marriages including open-air, non-permanent or permanent locations or combinations thereof. This can be the whole or part of a location.
A list of the currently approved marriage locations can be found here https://www.gov.je/LifeEvents/GettingMarried/Pages/ApprovedMarriageLocations.aspx
Same-sex marriages
It is lawful for same-sex couples to marry in Jersey.
Same-sex couples, who are currently in a civil partnership, may convert their civil partnership to a marriage, either through another wedding ceremony or through a simple conversion process without a ceremony.
Same-sex couples may not marry in Jersey’s parish churches at present. They may also not get married in any of the other Anglican churches on the island. Other religious organisations and religious officials are also exempted by law from marrying a same-sex couple unless they and/or their organisation opt-in to doing so.
Same-sex couples seeking to marry in a religious ceremony would need to apply to their religious organisation of choice to see whether that organisation and their religious official of choice had opted-in and was able to marry them under the law. Some religious organisations may not be able to marry same-sex couples, but individual officials within the organisation may be permitted by their organisation to offer a blessing for a marriage. If this is important to you, it is worth enquiring.
Transgender marriages (called acquired gender marriages in the law)
It is lawful for couples where one or both parties are transgender to marry in Jersey.
There is no requirement for a transgender person to show their birth certificate when applying to marry, so you may marry on your identity documents.
Marriage certificates and ceremony wording can be written as the couple wishes, so you may elect to have the designator “husband” or “wife” in line with your recognised gender.
In Jersey law, there is no ‘spousal veto’ (the provision in law in England and Wales that requires the permission of the spouse of a transgender person within a marriage before the transgender partner may change their gender legally).
Couples where it is known or suspected that one or both parties are transgender may not marry in Jersey’s parish churches at present. They may also not get married in any of the other Anglican churches on the island. Other religious organisations and religious officials are also exempted by law from marrying a couple where it is known or suspected that one or both parties are transgender unless they and/or their organisation opt-in to doing so.
Couples where one or both parties are transgender seeking to marry in a religious ceremony would need to apply to their religious organisation of choice to see whether that organisation and their religious official of choice had opted-in and was able to marry them under the law. Some religious organisations may not be able to undertake such a marriage ceremony, but individual officials within the organisation may be permitted by their organisation to offer a blessing for a marriage. If this is important to you, it is worth enquiring.
Wedding goods and services
Suppliers of goods and services for weddings may not discriminate against same-sex couples, or couples where one or both parties are transgender, in the provision of those goods and services.
More information about getting married in Jersey can be found here on the States of Jersey website. Alternatively, the Superintendent Registrar can be contacted on +44 1534 441335 or marriageenquiries@gov.je
