Ceremony information

Information about what happens at marriage and civil partnership ceremonies.

Now that you have chosen 91��Ƭ��for your ceremony it is time to decide what sort of ceremony you would like.

The various options are listed below but if there is anything you wish to add please do not feel restricted by the content, let us know, and we can talk it through with you.

For civil partnerships, the same arrangements apply as for marriage ceremonies. However, because there is no legal requirement for a ceremony, only the signing of the civil partnership schedule, couples may choose to follow the signing with a non‑legal ceremony in a similar format.

If you plan to have a religious ceremony in a Church of England or Church of Wales church, you will not require registrars.

If you are planning a ceremony in a non‑conformist religious venue, you may need to book a registrar to register your marriage or civil partnership if the venue does not have an authorised person available on the day. You will still be required to give notice of marriage or civil partnership. Please check this with your venue.

Ceremony guides

For more information, see our:

Civil Ceremonies in 91��Ƭ��Brochure (PDF)

Paper copies are also available in all of our registration offices.

What happens at your civil marriage ceremony

We want you to have a day to remember but, as with most special events, there are some things that we need to ensure happen on the day.

On the day you must bring two people with you to be witnesses to your marriage who must be able to understand and speak English. You can choose any relative or friend, as long as they are old enough to understand what is taking place.

Before the ceremony is due to commence, we will need to check the details taken at the time of the notice of marriage, which appears on the marriage schedule. Please refer to your ceremony booklet for details and arrive 30 minutes beforehand for your separate interviews. Please be aware that other ceremonies may be booked around yours, so it is important that you arrive on time to ensure that your ceremony can take place.

The ceremony time will vary dependent on the type of ceremony you have chosen so can be up to 45 minutes in duration.

Every marriage will include:

the registrar will welcome everyone to the ceremony
the legal definition of marriage and of the vows made to each other
you will declare that you are free to marry (a declaration)
you will make a contract with each other (contracting words)
you may exchange rings and make promises
you and your witnesses will sign the legal marriage schedule

There will be an opportunity for photographs.

The above is only a very brief outline of a marriage ceremony. The options on our other pages will show you how you can enhance or make your ceremony bespoke. Happy planning!

What happens at your civil partnership ceremony

Civil partnerships are slightly different in that there is no formal ceremony as part of your formation.

The law just requires you to sign a civil partnership schedule (legal contract). If however, you wish to have a ceremony, we can arrange and talk this through with you.

As with marriage ceremonies you will need to bring two people with you to be witnesses to your civil partnership who must be able to understand and speak English. You can choose any relative or friend as long as they are old enough to understand what is taking place.

Please arrive at least 30 minutes before the formation is due to commence as we will need to check the details taken at the time of the notice of civil partnership which appear on the civil partnership schedule, with each party separately.

Should you wish to have a celebration of your civil partnership, we can offer a ceremony to celebrate your union as civil partners. Our pages can help you make your ceremony a day to remember.

There will be an opportunity for photographs.