Your ceremony

We offer choice and flexibility with ceremonies available on a variety of days and at different price points and locations. Our service is unhurried giving you the time that you need to have the ceremony that you want. All our standard ceremonies deliver what many offer as an enhanced ceremony. We have options to personalise ceremonies.

Personalise your ceremony

You can personalise your ceremony. This includes:

• choosing one of our scripts
• playing your own music
• walking down the aisle
• readings, speeches or a short live performance such as a singer or musician
• saying words to one another – these words will be in addition to, and not in place of, the script used by the registrar
• time for photographs with friends and family

Personalised content must not be religious. For more information on personalising your ceremony or to choose a particular script please contact us before your ceremony day and in plenty of time.

Civil ceremonies at the Earlham Suite at George Meehan House, or at other approved ceremony venues, are conducted by the Superintendent Registrar. They are responsible for making sure that all information entered into the register is correct on the day. 

Basic and statutory fee ceremonies cannot be personalised but deliver a great value option if you want something small, simple and affordable.

Access to our private garden

All couples having a ceremony at George Meehan House have access to our beautiful private garden for post ceremony photographs and celebrations.

A marriage or a civil partnership

A marriage is formed by saying words and a civil partnership is formed by signing a schedule. Where words are said, the couple just need to listen and repeat the words. There is no need to have rings.

Please take some time to decide which type of ceremony is best for you; you may wish to seek legal advice particularly if you have dual nationality of overseas assets. You will need to know whether you are having a marriage or a civil partnership when you give notice.

Find out how to book a registrar and a ceremony venue.

Getting things right: your schedule and certificates

A marriage or civil partnership schedule will be issued for your ceremony. The schedule issued is determined by the type of notice you gave.

Before a ceremony starts, all your details will be checked again to ensure everything is correct before we start the ceremony or get you to sign the schedule document. A schedule is signed at the end of both a marriage and a civil partnership ceremony/signing. A marriage is formed by saying words, a civil partnership is formed by signing the Schedule document.

For ceremonies at George Meehan House we aim to give you your Marriage or Civil Partnership certificates straight after your ceremony. At other venues your certificates will be posted to you shortly after the ceremony date.

Witnesses

You need to ask 2 people to witness your marriage or civil partnership. They must be old enough to understand the ceremony and their role in it, preferably over the age of 18 and have a good level of English. They just need to watch and listen to the ceremony and sign the schedule. Registration staff are not allowed to find or act as witnesses for you.