Register Office weddings

So, for those of you who got married in a UK register office...

1) There aren't any issues with getting married on a Saturday or a Sunday, right?  I know most weddings take place on those days but I didn't know if they charge extra or something to have your ceremony on a weekend (not too worried about Saturday, but particularly interested in Sunday.)

2) Are there any days of the year when the registrar can't marry you?  I'm assuming that the obvious ones such as Christmas Day and New Year's Day apply, but I don't know beyond that (we're considering getting married near or during the Christmas season next year and I don't know if the register office shuts for a period during that time or something.)

Any help appreciated- thanks

I think Sunday mornings might be out.  Also be aware Sat & Sun are their busiest days so you might need to book well in advance to get married on those days. We got a Friday at a few weeks notice though.  It probably depends on the individual registry office as to how long they close for over Xmas - maybe it has a website you could look at to find out?

You would need to book way early for a Sat (or Sun if they offer it).  As I recall, our council charged a bit extra for the weekends (not an extortionate amount extra but a little more).

Best idea is to look up the council website for where you want to get married.  There should be links there on marriage within the council, which will take you on from there to the registry office info, etc.

Some council registry offices are fab looking, btw...

thanks, guys...any idea about how far in advance constitutes booking "way early?"  Are we talking 6 months, 8 months, a year or more...?  We probably won't be able to give notice until 5-6 months before the wedding.

Probably depends a lot on the council & how busy they are.  That said, we were trying to book a Sat at a register office & got one, just, about six months ahead of time - this was in Harrogate council at the time.

Of course, my visa ended up all screwed up & we had to cancel the date we booked on a shorter notice - which then meant we couldn't get a Sat at a later date, even in Leeds council...but that is another story.

ring them , do a provisional booking. they are more willing to help. i was so confused like u are , but gave them a ring , asked them all the questions on my mind , and that was it they were extremely helpful!

ring them , do a provisional booking.

See, I saw on the website that you could make a "provisional booking", but I'm not entirely sure what that means.  I guess they just hold your date for you until you're able to give notice (and will they do it before I have a fiance visa/COA?)  Argh, so many questions....I guess I should call them (although I feel silly since I'm not getting married until the end of next year!)

See, I saw on the website that you could make a "provisional booking", but I'm not entirely sure what that means.  I guess they just hold your date for you until you're able to give notice (and will they do it before I have a fiance visa/COA?) 

We made a provisional booking at our register office way back in April 2006, while I was visiting the UK - months before we applied for a fiancee visa.   We just made an appointment to meet with the official, explained that I was American and would be applying for an entry clearance in August, and that we were hoping that we could make a provisional booking so that we could use it as part of our supporting evidence for the fiancee visa application.  The guy was very nice and we had no problems at all.

We made a provisional booking at our register office way back in April 2006, while I was visiting the UK - months before we applied for a fiancee visa.   We just made an appointment to meet with the official, explained that I was American and would be applying for an entry clearance in August, and that we were hoping that we could make a provisional booking so that we could use it as part of our supporting evidence for the fiancee visa application.  The guy was very nice and we had no problems at all.

Good to hear!  Did the register office people say anything about when you had to give notice by?  I'm just wondering if provisional bookings expire at some point before the day if you haven't officially given notice by then.

Good to hear!  Did the register office people say anything about when you had to give notice by?  I'm just wondering if provisional bookings expire at some point before the day if you haven't officially given notice by then.

They didn't say anything to us - he simply pulled out the 2007 diary and made a joke about planning ahead.   I assume that it's up to the individual register office as to whether your booking could "expire" - but I doubt it.

I work in a registry office so I can tell you how it works here (Scotland). You can make a provisional booking well ahead of time. We've had couples book two years ahead! We just have them send us a letter with their names, the date and location of the wedding, and a deposit. We keep a notebook with the details and the information is held until the wedding unless the couple cancel. If the date of the wedding is getting close and we haven't received the notices, we'll get in contact with them.

You have to give notice 14 clear days before the wedding, but we like to have all the documents well before then in case we need more information or clarification. This is particularly true for foreign nationals. In fact I'm tearing my hair out now trying to get a Ukrainian bride to send in her documents - the wedding is coming up very soon, we'll need an interpreter because she doesn't speak English, and she basically has a week to get it all to me.

The best thing to do if you have questions is just to phone up the registry office that will be handling your paperwork, or even better make an appointment to see the registrar. They should be able to answer your questions.