Marriages and civil partnerships

Planning your ceremony at an approved venue

If you choose to celebrate your special day in one of Liverpool’s many approved venues, you can enhance your ceremony in a number of ways to ensure that your wedding is personal to you.

Please note that any enhancements chosen must not contain any religious references or be taken from any religious texts.

Arrival

You and your guests should arrive at least 20 minutes earlier than your booked ceremony time.   If you and your partner don’t wish to be seen by each other before the start of the ceremony, then we advise that you stagger your arrival times slightly.

Many of our venues have onsite parking for guests, however some in the city centre don’t.  Your chosen venue should be able to direct you to the nearest car parks available.

It’s important that you and your guests are on time as the registrar will have other weddings to attend on the same day.

Ceremony

You may personalise your ceremony in the following ways;

  • Music
  • Readings
  • Ring bearers
  • Candle lighting
  • Including children of the couple
  • Legal vows
  • Exchange of rings
  • Personalising Ring Words

Music is optional and can be played at any (or all) of the following parts of the ceremony:

  • As you make your entrance into the ceremony room.
  • During the signing of the marriage/civil partnership schedule.
  • As you leave the room at the end of the ceremony.

The superintendent  registrar will guide you through all stages of your ceremony, including:

  • Welcomes and introduction.
  • The legal vows, repeated after the superintendent registrar.
  • Exchange of rings (optional).
  • Inviting any readers to step forward to read out your chosen readings.
  • Promises to children of the couple (optional).
  • Candle lighting.
  • Declaring you as legally married / civil partnered at the end of the ceremony.
  • Inviting you and your witnesses to sign the marriage or civil partnership schedule.
  • Photographs.
  • Presentation of a certificate.

Signing the marriage/civil partnership schedule

Marriages are no longer recorded in a marriage register at the end of a ceremony and legal certificates are not presented on the day. See Registration and certificates for more information.

Witnesses

You must bring two witnesses with you for your ceremony. They should be over the age of 16 and able to understand English. They will be asked to sign at the end of the ceremony to confirm they have witnessed the marriage or civil partnership being formed.

Register Office staff are unable to act as witnesses for you.

Interpreters

If either of the couple do not speak and understand English you should bring someone to translate when you give notice and to your ceremony. This can be a family member or friend. The couple are not allowed to translate for each other.

If an interpreter is present at your ceremony they will need to sign as a witness.