About your ceremony
Arrival at the venue
Remember:
- you must be interviewed separately by the registration officer just before the ceremony - make sure you allow time for this
- to make sure your guests know the venue address and where to park
- to make sure your witnesses/guests arrive on time. Registration officers often conduct several ceremonies a day - if you arrive late, we may have to postpone your ceremony
- to allow for traffic when planning your journey
Before the ceremony
You may want to ask some to be responsible for looking after your guests and making sure they sit where you'd like them to - an usher, for example.
The registration officer will be in touch to confirm the details and collect any fees.
You will need to complete and agree a ceremony plan with us:
Readings
Any readings must be strictly non-religious and must be approved by a registration officer before the ceremony - there are many websites that can help with ideas for readings.
Photographs and videos
Guests may take photographs from their seats throughout the ceremony, but should not use flash or a loud shutter.
At Catmose Cottage or Rutland’s licensed venues, you can nominate one person to take photos throughout the ceremony (without flash or a loud shutter). This might be an official photographer or a friend/relative.
Many of our venues have attractive gardens or grounds for some extra photographs after the ceremony.
If someone's going to film your ceremony, tell us on your ceremony plan - we'll be able to show them the best place to record from on the day.
Witnesses
You must provide two witnesses - they can be family members, friends or even strangers off the street!
Your witnesses must:
- be at least 16 years old
- be able to understand English
- understand the significance of the ceremony they're witnessing
Confetti
If your ceremony is being held at Catmose Cottage, your guests can throw confetti - we ask that this is only thrown outside, to help keep the room tidy for any other ceremonies taking place the same day.
If your ceremony is being held at any other venue, you'll need to contact them to ask if they allow confetti.