Wandsworth Registration Services

Ceremonies Guide

www.wandsworth.gov.uk
 ...we will do everything we can
to make your special day run
as smoothly as possible

A very warm welcome
from the Wandsworth
Register Office.

Congratulations on your forthcoming ceremony. We will do

everything we can to make your special day run as smoothly as
possible from your first enquiry to the day itself. Our aim is to
make your day very special leaving you to enjoy a worry free
experience with your family, your friends and each other.

Where to find us:

The Register Office

Wandsworth Town hall
The High Street Wandsworth
London
SW18 2PU
Tel: 020 8871 6120/6121
Fax: 020 8871 8100

Web: www.wandsworth.gov.uk
Email: registeroffice@wandsworth.gov.uk

Opening Hours
Monday to Friday - 9:00am to 4:30pm
Saturday by appointment only

We conduct ceremonies in our four ceremony rooms in the Town

Hall or at our approved venues by appointment Monday to Sunday
and on Bank Holidays.
Making the
arrangements
Your choices

Civil Marriages and Civil Partnerships

A civil ceremony can take place in a register office or other
venues approved by a local authority for marriages and civil
partnerships, such as hotels, art centres, and sporting venues.

First contact the Register Office which is in the district where

you wish to marry or form your civil partnership. If you choose
an Approved Venue you will also need to make a booking at the
venue. In addition, you will both personally need to give notice of
intent to the Superintendent Registrar of the district(s) where
you live.

Church of England or Church of Wales

For ceremonies in the Church of England or Wales you should
speak to the vicar. Usually you or your partner will have to live in
the parish. Your vicar will advise you. There is generally no need
to involve the local Superintendent Registrar.

Other Places of Religious Worship

First, contact the minister or other person in charge of
ceremonies in the building. The church or religious building must
normally be in the registration district where you or your partner
live. It will also be necessary to give notice of intent to the
Superintendent Registrar of the district(s) where you live.
A Registrar may also need to be booked to register the marriage.
Ceremonies Abroad
It is your responsibility to ensure you have all the necessary
documents required to enable your ceremony to proceed in
the country to which you are travelling. You should contact
the authorities of the country concerned as early as possible
to ensure you have enough time to make all the necessary
preparations. Please contact the Register Office for more
information.
Legal formalities

You must give notice of intent for your ceremony. Both of you
must have lived in a registration district in England and Wales for
at least seven days immediately before giving notice at the Register
Office. If you both live in the same district you should both
attend your local register office together. If you live in different
registration districts then each of you will need to give notice
separately in your own areas.

If one or both of you are subject to immigration control, you will

need to attend together in a designated office.Wandsworth is a
designated Office.

After giving notice you must wait 15 clear days before the
authorities for your ceremony can be issued. Notice can only be
given twelve months in advance.

Your marriage cannot go ahead unless the legal formalities have

been completed. Each person will pay a fee at the time of giving
notice.

If either of you does not speak English you should bring an

independent interpreter with you when you attend to give notice
and also for the ceremony itself. In no circumstances can your
partner act as an interpreter for you.

Documents
Required
You will need to produce evidence of your identity, nationality, and
marital status. Also confirmation of your address e.g. utility bill
or bank statement dated within the last 3 months.

British Nationals.
You will be required to produce a current passport or birth
certificate.
Prior to 1983, a person born in the UK obtained British Citizenship
automatically. For a person born after 1st January 1983, nationality
is dependent upon the nationality of the parents. Please contact us
if you require advice.

Foreign Nationals.
A person who was born abroad and is not a British citizen
should be in possession of a valid passport or Home Office travel
document. Additionally a person may also produce a Nationality
Identity Card, however if the Nationality Identity Card does not
show the persons nationality then they must produce further
evidence of their nationality.
Asylum applicants may have an Application Registration Card
ARC. This document is generally self-reported and will not be
accepted as proof of identity.

Marital Status
If you have been married or have formed a civil partnership in
this or any other country, you will need to produce documents to
confirm that you are free to marry or form a civil partnership
One of the following documents will be required:
-Any original court documents issued where a marriage or civil
partnership ended as a result of divorce or dissolution.
-A death certificate where the marriage or civil partnership ended
as the result of the death of a spouse or civil partnership, and your
marriage or civil partnership certificate if you are not named as the
spouse or civil partner on the death certificate.

Change of Name Deed

Where a person has changed their name by Deed Poll or Statutory
Declaration, those documents must be produced.
The Register Office

The Register Office is located in Wandsworth Town Hall an extremely

attractive building, opened by Queen Mary in 1937. The property boasts
many beautiful features providing excellent opportunities for photographs
and its interior is a fine example of the best in art deco. It is often used as
a location for films and television programmes.

We are based on the ground floor and have direct easy access for disabled
and elderly visitors and also for parents with prams and pushchairs.

We conduct ceremonies Monday to Saturday and also on Sundays on the

first Sunday of the month. Information on the availability of our rooms can
be obtained from the Register Office.

Our ceremony Suite

We can offer a choice of three ceremony rooms for marriage or civil
partnership in the Ceremony Suite, each one elegant but contrasting
in design and decoration. Each of the rooms has splendid flower
arrangements and facilities for music.
The Elizabeth Room
The Sovereign Suite
The Sovereign Suite includes the Alexandra Room and the Victoria Room.
The Victoria and Alexandra Rooms can be view as a virtual tour, through
our website www.wandsworth.gov.uk/registeroffice

The Alexandra Room

Our elegant Alexandra Room is themed in cream and blue with attractive
wood panelling and art deco paintings.There is a theatre style layout so
that brides can make an entrance and walk down the aisle. The capacity is
for 50 guests (48 seated).

The Victoria Room

The rich red themed room and magnificent original art deco conference
table provides a fine setting for your ceremony. The capacity is for 25 (23
guests).

The Register Office

Perfect for smaller ceremonies, the Register Office is the Elizabeth Room
and is perfect for small ceremonies. It is furnished in the art deco style
with wooden panelling.The capacity is for 10 (8 guests). It is available from
Monday to Friday only.

Alternatively.The Grand Chamber

Our fourth room is the impressive oak panelled Grand Chamber
accommodates 100 guests.The tiered bench seating is laid out in a semi-
circular fashion affording your guests a clear view of your special day. The Victoria Room
The Alexandra Room

The Grand Chamber

Witnesses

You are required by law to provide two witnesses to

your marriage or civil partnership. They may be relatives,
friends or colleagues, and they must be able to understand
and speak English.

Photographs and
Web Cams
Your guests are very welcome to take photographs
throughout the ceremony. We do ask however, that
they do so discreetly to avoid distracting you whilst
you are taking your vows. After the ceremony you may
take photographs in the magnificent art deco marbled
hall with its sweeping stairway. There is also the lawned
garden with its own fountain, and of course the secluded
courtyard with its own fountain and imposing main
entrance with stepped approach perfect for those final
group photographs.

There are webcams in The Sovreign Suite and in the

Grand Chamber. This enables your family and friends
across the world to join you on your special day.You will
even have a chance to speak to them once your ceremony
is concluded.

Music
We offer a wide selection of classical and contemporary
music but if there is a special song you would like us to
play please bring it along before the ceremony. New music
systems have been fitted into all the ceremony rooms
with multi functional output.

Car Parking
On Saturday there are two car parks at the Town Hall
providing ample parking for you and your guests. Parking
in the courtyard is limited to two cars per ceremony and
we will provide permits.Your other guests can park in the
second larger Town Hall car park.

At other times in the week we regret we are unable to

provide parking facilities. However we can accommodate
at least one car in the courtyard. Other guests to the
ceremony may use either the nearby street parking or the
NCP car park at the Southside shopping centre. A map
showing all these facilities is shown on your ceremony
appointment card.
The Ceremony

Please arrive in the register office 15 minutes before

your ceremony to see the Registrar.
The Registrar will interview you both in private prior to
the ceremony to check the information to be entered
for registration and also to confirm your choices of vows
and music. In the Register office this is also the time
when the fee for the ceremony is paid to the Registrar.
In our other ceremony rooms and at venues, the fee is
paid no less than 2 weeks before the ceremony. Confetti
can only be used in the grounds and we have a strict no
smoking policy.

Approved Venues
Wandsworth offers a wide choice of approved venues
for your ceremony. Many of our venues offer facilities for
over 100 guests or for smaller more intimate ceremonies.
Our largest venue can accommodate 600 guests.

Once you have booked with your chosen venue, you will
also need to contact this office to book the Registrars
for your chosen time and date.

We will ensure that your day is special in every way and

your ceremony can be personalised and individual to
you by including readings, prose or music of your choice.
You will both be interviewed separately by the Registrars
before the ceremony.

A full list of Wandsworth approved venues is available on

our website
www.wandsworth.gov.uk/registeroffice

...leaving you to enjoy
a worry free experience
with your families, your
friends and each other

Other Ceremonies
Naming Ceremonies
These ceremonies are a very special way of celebrating the
birth of your child, welcoming the new arrival into your
family and making promises of commitment to support
your child. It is also a way of celebrating older children or
embracing stepchildren into a new family.

Renewal of Vows
This ceremony is for any couple wishing to celebrate
renewing their vows in a unique and personal ceremony.
The ceremony is often associated with a special anniversary.
Many couples who have their ceremony abroad choose to
renew their vows in a special ceremony held for family and
friends.

Naming Ceremonies and Renewal of vows can be held

in any of the rooms in our ceremonies suite or at our
approved venues.
 The Register Office
Wandsworth Town hall
The High Street Wandsworth
London
SW18 2PU

Tel: 020 8871 6120/6121

Fax: 020 8871 8100

Web: www.wandsworth.gov.uk
Email: registeroffice@wandsworth.gov.uk

Opening Hours
Monday to Friday - 9:00am to 4:30pm

Saturday by appointment only