ARRANGING THE SERVICE

So what happens next? After the i’s have been dotted and the t’s have been crossed, a copy of the notices to marry (one for each partner) will be displayed on the notice board in the Register Office(s) for fifteen days and people have the right to make a legal objection to the impending Civil Ceremony. Assuming this doesn’t happen (it normally only happens in the movies, so don’t worry), then a Marriage Authority (or equivalent for Civil Partnerships) will be granted to each partner and you are free to go ahead with your Civil Ceremony! If the Ceremony is to take place in a different district from the one which issued the Authority, then you will need to ensure that the Superintendent Registrar conducting the ceremony receives a copy of the Authority for their records.

With regards cost, your Register Office will be able to confirm at point of enquiry and the final total depends upon the venue and date of the Ceremony. Regardless of venue, each partner will need to ‘give notice’ and the couple will need to pay for a Marriage/Partnership Certificate on the day - added to this is the cost for the actual Ceremony itself. Couples can expect the grand total to come to anywhere between £100 (for a Ceremony in the local Register Office on a weekday) up to £500 (for a Bank Holiday Service at an approved venue). Of course, all of these costs exclude the room hire cost which also needs to be factored in.