Cost of a Marriage Licence

[lesleys]

I always thought it was speed - you didn't have to wait the three weeks while banns were read but could marry as soon as the licence was issued.

[Peter Goodey]

What did Licence offer that Banns didn't?

A degree of privacy, I think. The hoi polloi didn't have a chance to mutter among themselves while the banns were being read and didn't receive advance notice of the wedding.

A couple in my tree were teachers at the local school and married by licence. I bet that was because they didn't want three weeks of the ghastly brats sniggering in class, or worst of all, turning up for the wedding.

[Megan Roberts]

According to the Church of England web site:

Banns are an announcement of your intention to marry and a chance for anyone to put forward a reason why the marriage may not lawfully take place.

Banns need to be read in the parish where each of you lives as well as the church in which you are to be married if that is another parish.

You must have your banns read out in church for three Sundays during the three months before the wedding. This is often done over three consecutive Sundays but does not have to be.

Devon County Council's web site has a good explanation about marriage by licence / marriage bonds
http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/counci...e_licences.htm