Mazal tov on your engagement!
We are delighted that you have chosen to celebrate your wedding with us at NSNS. This document explains the procedures and contract which govern weddings undertaken under the auspices of New Stoke Newington Shul (NSNS).
NSNS is affiliated to the Masorti movement and under the authority of the Masorti Beth Din. Initial discussion should be with Rabbi Roni Tabick (rabbi@nsnshul.org.uk).
- Anyone wishing to hold a wedding through NSNS will need to become a member of the synagogue. The application form can be found on our website https://newstokenewingtonshul.org Membership entails a voluntary donation. Guidance on this donation is given on our application form and should reflect the financial situation of the new member. In addition members are required to join the JJBS (Joint Jewish Burial Society) scheme as a condition of membership. This is currently £56.00 annually per person. The fee payable for a wedding is £800.00 and will include attendance of our registrar. If the wedding is significantly beyond the synagogue’s catchment area in North and Central London, there will be an additional fee charged to cover the time, travel expenses and any accommodation costs involved for both the Rabbi and the registrar. Financial support is available in cases of hardship.
- A deposit of £200.00 is payable on booking the wedding. The remainder will be invoiced two months prior to the date of the wedding.
- As part of the preparation for your wedding the rabbi will meet with you at least three times to prepare for the big day. These meetings will help the rabbi to get to know you better as individuals and as a couple, and to understand and personalise the religious elements of the ceremony. Additionally, if we are conducting the civil element of your wedding as well as the religious element, you will be offered a meeting with our secretary for marriages to make sure all the legal elements are in place. More details about the legal formalities are set out here
- NSNS will only conduct weddings where a level of Kashrut is observed. This means meat would require kashrut supervision; fish would need to be kosher; vegetarian and vegan weddings are acceptable.
For further information contact us or email chair@nsnshul.org.uk
MAZAL TOV!
The process
NSNS is pleased to able to perform weddings which combine the religious ceremony with a legally valid civil marriage or partnership. This is a guide to the civil formalities you will need to put in place before your ceremony.
The timescales below assume you are both EEA nationals. If not, longer notice periods may be required as there are additional requirements.
- First, you need to decide on a venue and date for your wedding ceremony. There are no restrictions on where you can get married, as long as it is in England or Wales. It does not need to be in a building which is licensed for marriage.
- Then, make an appointment at your local registry office to give notice of your intention to marry and the time and place of the wedding. You must have lived in the area covered by the local registry office for at least 7 days. If you live in different areas, you must each give separate notice in your local office. Your local council’s website will have details of how to make the appointment. The appointment must be at least 29 days before your proposed wedding date, but can be up to 12 months in advance. We would advise making the appointment as early as possible.
- You will need to bring with you to the appointment proof of your name, address, age and nationality. If you are not an EEA national, there are additional requirements which should be checked with your local council. Please also ensure you tell the registrar that you will be having a Jewish wedding.
Following the meeting with the local registrar, a Schedule for Marriage will be prepared by the registrar for the district where the wedding will take place. - Once the Schedule for Marriage is obtained, make an appointment to see NSNS’s secretary for marriages. She will check the details of the Schedule for Marriage and also carry out a short interview with each of you in order to check there is no legal impediment to the marriage or partnership.
- On the day: both Rabbi Roni and the secretary for marriages will be present. During or after the chuppah, both you and your two civil witnesses will sign the Schedule for Marriage. We will take care of returning the Schedule for Marriage to the registrar so that your marriage can be registered.
And with that, the formalities will have all been dealt with and all that is left is for you to both enjoy your celebrations and many happy years together.