Getting married in HK, then UK

[chump]

Hi all,

My fiance and I are getting married next year in the UK. However, to resolve any visa issues she may have in HK before then, we are considering getting the official marriage registered before then in HK.

If we do this, does anyone know what happens regarding our wedding in the UK next year? Do we go through the entire UK wedding ceremony, but without actually getting married (as we'll already be married), or will the UK have no record of our marriage, hence we get married again?


Thanks,
chump

[PDLM]

The former. You should only be legally married once. Just do the bare legal minimum here in HK in order to get the certificate (5 people in a room saying about 20 words and signing some documents). Then do everything as planned in the UK but without any legal document signing. You can leave all the rings and stuff to the UK ceremony if you want.

[carang]

we got married in hk, legally... we did the chinese wedding party here.

then we went to canada and had a "blessing". it was the whole church affair, the only difference was we didn't sign the register as we were already married. but for that, it was the exact wedding as in the book of common prayer, church of england.

you should not have any problems. once you are married, your wife can register her name change, if she so wishes, with the british consulate here. you maybe able to also register your marriage with them, i believe, so that there is a record of it there.(don't know if they do this or not, sorry)