page_title: Marriage in England and Wales
section_title: 21st century
hierarchical_section_title: Marriage in England and Wales / History / 21st century
caption_attribution_description: English: Peter and David, the first couple to get married in Islington using the same sex marriage law in England and Wales. Français&#160;: Peter et David, le premier couple gay à se marier à Islington la suite de la modification de la loi.
context_page_description: Marriage is available in England and Wales to both opposite-sex and same-sex couples and is legally recognised in the forms of both civil and religious marriage. Marriage laws have historically evolved separately from marriage laws in other jurisdictions in the United Kingdom. There is a distinction between religious marriages, conducted by an authorised religious celebrant and civil marriages conducted by a state registrar. The legal minimum age to enter into a marriage in England and Wales is sixteen years, although this requires consent of parents and guardians if a participant is under eighteen. Certain relatives are not allowed to marry. For foreign nationals, there are also residency conditions that have to be met before people can be married. Same-sex marriage was introduced under the Marriage Act in March 2014.
context_section_description: In 2013, Parliament passed the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act, introducing same-sex marriage in England and Wales. Same-sex weddings began on 29 March 2014; however, the provisions of the Act came into force on 13 March 2014, meaning that existing same-sex marriages performed abroad were recognised from that date. Prior to this, Civil partnerships had been made available to same-sex couples in the United Kingdom in 2005, granting rights and responsibilities virtually identical to civil marriage.
caption: A same-sex marriage in Islington, London on 29 March 2014, the first day they were permitted in England and Wales.
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