If a meeting for clearness is not required of every couple by the area meeting, a proposal to hold a meeting for clearness may nevertheless be initiated:

1. by the couple themselves, for example if they are not yet sure whether it is right for them to be joined in marriage or to ask for a Quaker ceremony. They may want to consider the implications more deeply with a group of Friends prior to formal application. This may or may not involve the registering officer;
2. by the registering officer in the course of initial discussions about marriage procedures to help discern the rightness of the proposed marriage;
3. by the area meeting, particularly where there are special circumstances that need careful consideration, or if one or both of those asking for a Quaker marriage are not well known to the meeting (see 16.30).

Whether or not a meeting for clearness is held, all the procedures and requirements outlined in this chapter will have to be carefully considered and complied with.