Civil Ceremonies

Register Office Wedding

The Bride and Groom and their guests should arrive about ten minutes before the ceremony is due to start. Once the Bride and Groom have been invited into the Marriage Room for a short interview and the Registrar collects the fee of £37.50, the ceremony itself will take place over about 10 minutes, but the wedding party would normally be in the building for about 30 minutes.

• You need two witnesses who should be over 16 years old. They can be close family members or complete strangers plucked from the Car Park!
• The marriage ceremony must be dignified, but you may dress as casually or as formally as you wish.
• The rings are an option, the marriage is equally valid whether you exchange rings or not.
• You must say the words laid down by law, but if you wish to make extra promises to one another you may do so. You must notify the Register Office in advance as they have to check that the vows are not ones used in any religious service.
• If you wish one of your guests may read a poem or a piece of prose but again the Register Office must see it before the day to check it has no religious connotations.

  Approved Premises

  Marriages in Approved Premises can be as simple as a Register Office wedding or a more elaborate affair. Once you have confirmed your booking by giving a formal notice of your intention to marry, the Register Office will send you a leaflet outlining the ceremony with options for you to choose from and will see you about 6 - 8 weeks before the ceremony to discuss it with you. They would ask for the fee at that point, the amount depending on the day of the week you are getting married.

  Current fees are:
  

• Monday-Friday £165.00
  
• Saturday £200.00
  
• Sunday and Bank Holiday £250.00

  Contact Bristol Register Office at:
  Quakers Friars
  Bristol, BS1 3AR
  Tel: 0117 903 8877
  

  register_office@bristol-city.gov.uk

  Opening Hours:
  9.00am - 4.00 pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
  10.00pm - 4.00pm Wednesday (5-7.30pm by appointment only)
  Saturday – By appointment only