About your ceremony
Length of the ceremony
Most of our ceremonies last between 20 and 30 minutes depending on your choices for the ceremony. You can find out more about how you can customise your day.
If you have booked a You Plus Two ceremony, this does not include any personalised content and will be much shorter.
Decorating the ceremony room
Our registration office ceremony rooms host numerous ceremonies, often on the same day, so decorating the ceremony room is not possible. We can accommodate a small flower display for a table; however, this should not be flowers in water.
If you are having your ceremony at one of other venues, then your venue will work with you to make sure the room is decorated and set out as you would like.
Marriage schedules, documents and certificates
You no longer sign a marriage register or are given a marriage certificate during your ceremony, following a change in the law. Instead you will sign a civil schedule and your certificate will be sent out to you afterwards.
The schedule is a one-page document which contains the details of both people getting married or forming a civil partnership.
Please ensure you check the personal details recorded thoroughly, as additional costs may apply if a correction is needed after the ceremony has been registered.
Throwing confetti
We recommend the use of sustainable or biodegradable confetti at all our ceremonies, such as natural petal-based choices. You can throw confetti at most locations; however, it is not permitted inside any of our ceremony rooms and must only be thrown in outdoor areas.
Changing your name after the ceremony
It is common practice for one or both parties to change their name(s) after a marriage or civil partnership ceremony. In the UK this is a personal choice rather than a legal requirement.