These Regulations consolidate with mostly minor amendments the Registration of Marriages (Welsh Language) Regulations 1986, and subsequent amending regulations which are revoked. The Welsh language translation of the forms set out in Schedule one to the regulations has been updated and modernised.

The Regulations prescribe forms in English and Welsh for use in Wales in place of the forms prescribed under the Registration of Marriages Regulations 1986 which are in English only (regulations 2 to 6) and they specify the conditions subject to which the forms may be completed in Welsh as well as in English and the form of Welsh wording to be used (regulation 7 and Schedule 2). The forms prescribed include (regulation 4) a form of declaration of certain affinal relationships. Provision is also made for the correction of errors in marriage entries (regulation 8), and for a certified copy made on a bilingual printed form to be treated as a true copy of the original entry notwithstanding that the original was in English only (regulation 9).