COVID-19 update
The Government has announced that small marriage and civil partnership ceremonies, involving close friends and family, may resume from 4 July.
How ceremonies will take place:
- A maximum of 30 persons may attend a marriage or civil partnership ceremony. This limit has been decided by Government and will be imposed without exception in all venues.
- Capacity limits may be lower, depending on the room, to allow for social distancing in line with building risk assessments.
- Ceremony fees are set according to the venue/room chosen and will not be reduced based on a lesser number of attendees.
- Social distancing rules on gatherings apply to ceremonies and must be adhered to in respect of who you invite to your ceremony.
- Approved venues must submit a risk assessment to the Register Office. Registrars will only attend a venue once satisfied that it is COVID-secure and operating in line with Government guidance.
- A short and simple ceremony will be carried out to minimise prolonged exposure and risk. Couples may not be able to include all of the enhancements they had planned, including readings and separate entrances.
- Admission to York House will be by guest list only. Couples must confirm the names of all attendees at least 3 working days before the ceremony. Unnamed guests will not be permitted to enter the building or outside areas.
- Couples and their guests will need to arrive 10 minutes before their ceremony, but no earlier. The number of people in the building at any one time is being carefully managed. Guests arriving early may be asked to remain outside until they can be safely accommodated. Late arrival will result in non-admission and this will be non-negotiable.
When ceremonies will take place:
To ensure ceremonies can be managed safely Richmond Registration Services will begin a phased resumption of service as follows:
- 4 July to 17 July: Existing bookings will be honoured. No new bookings.
- 18 July to 31 August: Re-bookings will be prioritised for couples whose ceremonies were cancelled during lockdown. No new bookings.
- 1 September onwards: New bookings will be available online
How to book:
- If you have an existing booking, we will contact you to find out if you plan to keep it and accept the current restrictions.
- If your ceremony was cancelled due to COVID-19, we will contact you to offer you priority rebooking from 18 July onwards.
- If you wish to make a new booking, you will be able to book online from 1 August for ceremony dates from 1 September onwards.
Before you start
Before making your ceremony booking, please read our Ceremony Booking terms and conditions, particularly the amendment fee and the cancellation policy.
Do not use this form if you are already in a Civil Partnership and would like to convert your existing Civil Partnership into a Marriage and hold a celebratory ceremony.
Payment
You will need to make a payment at the time of booking. Please see our fees page for information on the cost of ceremonies.
You will need
- To know where you would like your ceremony to be held
- Your details and your partner’s details
- The date you wish to book the ceremony
- Credit or debit card for payment
What happens next
- You will receive a confirmation email with detailed instructions about what you must do next
- You will both be required to give notice of your intention. There is a statutory waiting period of 30 days which must be completed. However, if one or both of you is a non EEA national, without appropriate immigration status, or relevant visa, you will be referred to the Home Office for investigation, and the statutory waiting period will increase to 72 days
- Once we receive notification that you have both given notice, you will receive a ceremony information pack with full details about the ceremony. The email will also advise what documents will need to be returned before the date of your ceremony