Two to four weeks before your ceremony you need to tell us how you would like to personalise your ceremony. You don't have to do this but it will help the to plan your ceremony.
About a week before, the Registrar attending your ceremony will contact you to introduce themselves.
The Registrars work on a rota basis, this is subject to change at any time. This means we are unable to tell you which members of our team will be conducting and recording your ceremony.
Each ceremony must include the legal declarations and contracting words. There are however other parts of the ceremony which are not legally required. Each Registrar has their wording for these parts of the ceremony. If you would like to adapt the wording, please discuss this with your Registrar. On the day, the Registrar will guide you through the ceremony. The words that you have to say will be said after the Registrar. These will be spoken a few words at a time.
Timings
The Registrars aim to arrive at the venue 30 minutes before the start of the ceremony. The Registrar will interview you both separately before the ceremony begins. The Registrar will also have a chat with each of you separately before the ceremony. This is to confirm your details and check the information. They will also run through the format of the ceremony and answer any questions you may have.
If you arrive late your ceremony, this may:
- inconvenience you and your guests
- spoil other arrangements you may have made for the day
- mean that the Superintendent Registrar will need to re-schedule your ceremony to a later time
We will wait for fifteen minutes after the agreed start time. After this, we reserve the right to move on to the next ceremony and/or leave the premises.
Ceremony format
The bold text indicates all legal requirements, this is to ensure the validity of your marriage.
- Welcome guests to the venue and Introduction
- Bride’s entrance
- Legal definition of Marriage
- Declaratory words – declaring that you are legally free to marry
- Contracting words
- Opportunity for readings
- Exchange of ring(s) and vows
- Announcement of the married couple
- Signing of the marriage schedule by the married couple, witnesses and Registrars. It is very important that you check the content and spelling on the schedule. By signing the schedule, you are confirming that all the information is correct to the best of your knowledge. If you later notice an error which requires correcting, you will have to pay a non-refundable fee of £90
- The married couple will pose with the schedule for photographs
- Grand exit of the married couple