Find Wales Civil Marriage Records 1837 to the Present

Marriages in Wales were recorded by the government beginning 1 July 1837. All people who married in Wales or England should be recorded in the civil records. Online indexes are free to search but a copy of the certificate will cost about fifteen dollars when ordered from the government. Some marriage certificates are available in church and chapel records for little or no cost.

Step 1. Search an Index
FreeBMD is a database of births, marriages and deaths in England and Wales compiled from civil registration records. The index can be searched online for free.

Step 2. Obtain a copy of the record
After searching an index and finding what appears to be a relevant entry, obtain a copy of the marriage record/certificate. An index entry may provide enough detail to help answer a question but the additional details on the certificate will provide critical clues for successful and accurate research.

The national registrar provides an easy method for ordering a copy of a certificate online.

Step 3. Add new details to your notes
Add the new details learned from the marriage record to your note keeping system and share with others on New FamilySearch. Be sure to document where the new information came from.

What to do if you don't find your ancestor

 * Learn more about researching Welsh civil registration records from 1837 to the present.
 * Try a different record type that provides marriage information.

Sample Wales civil registration record
A marriage certificate will show: