Terms & Conditions

1.1   At the time of booking you will be required to provide one of the following documents to complete the relevant legal requirements, these include:

1.1.1 Proof of identity eg: a valid passport, or you can prove your identity with your birth certificate. If you have changed your name you will also need to provide your change of name deed. Please note: If you’re born after 1983 and do not hold a valid UK passport, you will need your full birth certificate and your mother’s birth certificate.*

*Applicable to British Citizens / UK Nationals only

1.1.2   Proof of residency eg: utility bill dated no more than three months before the date of notice of marriage is given, bank or building society statement within one month of the date notice of marriage is given, current council tax bill, mortgage statement, current residential tenancy agreement, valid UK, Community or British external driving licence or letter from the owner or proprietor of the address which confirms your place of residence; and

1.1.3   Freedom to marry eg if divorced, a decree absolute of divorce or decree of nullity of marriage granted by a court of civil jurisdiction in England and Wales.

1.2  The Booking Fee for any ceremony booked with us is payable at the time of booking. The Booking Fee is a non-refundable payment in all circumstances.

1.3  Should you need to amend the date or time of your ceremony with us for any reason, you can do this on one occasion, and you will not be charged for moving your booking with us. Should you need to make a further amendment to the date or time of your ceremony, you will be liable to pay the booking fee again.

1.4  Staffordshire Registration Service reserves the right to review the Booking Fees on an annual basis and these fees shall be subject to change on the 1 April each year.

1.5  All payments can be paid on-line at www.staffordshire.gov.uk/onlinepayments using your booking reference. You can also make payments by telephone by calling 0300 111 8001 or attending the offices in person.

1.6  Staffordshire Registration Service cannot accept ceremony bookings that are more than two (2) years in advance of the date of your ceremony.

2.1   Ceremony Fees are payable one month prior to the date of the ceremony.

2.2   Staffordshire Registration Service reserves the right to review the Ceremony Fees on an annual basis and these fees shall be subject to change on the 1 April each year. The fee that is applicable on the ceremony date will apply.

2.3   In the event that fees are not paid within four weeks of the scheduled date of the ceremony, Staffordshire Registration Service reserves the right to automatically cancel the ceremony.  Written or email notification of the cancellation will be sent to the address supplied at the time of booking.

3.1   In order to personalise your ceremony, your wedding choices can be updated online at: https://staffordshireceremonies.co.uk/ceremony-account-portal/

3.2   Should you wish to update your preferences after you have paid the remaining balance, you are able to use your booking reference to auto populate your details.

3.3   Your preferences need to be submitted at least one month prior to the date of your ceremony.

4.1  Staffordshire Registration Service reserves the right to not issue a refund in the event that you need to cancel your ceremony.

4.2  You must notify Staffordshire Registration Service in writing as soon as possible in the event that you need to cancel your ceremony.

4.3   Staffordshire Registration Service will cancel your ceremony if:

4.3.1   The ceremony fees have not been paid four weeks prior to the event; or

4.3.2   The legal preliminaries (namely – notice of marriage or civil partnership) have not or cannot be completed.

4.4  In the event of unforeseen circumstances such as a major emergency, (including but not limited to war, civil disturbance, government action, fire, flood, snow pandemic or epidemic) we will do everything we can to ensure your ceremony takes place on your chosen day. However, Staffordshire Registration Service cannot be held responsible and is not liable for any ceremony which has to be cancelled as a result of such events which are outside of our control.

We recommend you consider taking out ceremony insurance to cover losses or expenses incurred in the case of such events.

Staffordshire Registration Service may refund the ceremony fee in such cases, but this will be discretionary and will be reviewed by the Registration Service Manager.

5.1   Staffordshire Registration Service will not accept liability for:

5.1.1   Any delay or loss caused by your late or non-arrival to the ceremony;

5.1.2   If the venue fails to notify the standby Registration team of the late arrival of the registrar through the emergency phone line and the ceremony is delayed as a result;

5.1.3   Any loss or compensation where a ceremony is stopped from proceeding because:

(i)   it would be void if it went ahead;

(ii)   it would be an offence under the Marriage or Civil Partnership Acts would be committed, and

(iii)   it would be against the public interest.

1. Notice of Marriage

By law you are both required to give notices of marriage, and this must be done at a registration office in the district where you live. You must have both lived in a district in England or Wales for nine full days immediately before the date of your appointment to give your notice of marriage. It does not matter if either of you moves to a different address once you have given notice.

Notice must be given no more than a year before, but no later than twenty eight days before your ceremony. Once your ceremony is less than a year away, we suggest that you do this immediately.

The fee for giving notice is a statutory fee currently set at £42.00 each, this does sometimes increase on the 1st April each year so may be different if you give notice after this date.

If either of you is not a citizen of a country within the EEA, then it will be necessary for you both to attend your local Registration Office to give your notice of marriage.   This may incur additional fees.  We will be happy to advise you on your nearest office by contacting us by telephone on 0300 111 8001 or email, details of which are found at the top of the letter.

2. Choices

On booking your ceremony, you will be provided with a booking reference which enables you to log in to your ceremony account.  You can also personalise your ceremony by choosing  promises and readings from those provided, but along with your music choices there must be no religious content to these.  If you book an enhanced ceremony, this allows you submit your own promises and readings.

If you are unsure whether your reading, promise or song selection could be deemed as religious, please check with the registrar in plenty of time before your ceremony. Please submit your choices at least one month in advance of your ceremony.

3. Changes to Your Passport

If either of you wish to change the name on your passport for use immediately after the marriage, the Passport Office will either issue a new standard UK passport which will be valid from the date of the marriage, or will amend the existing passport to show your future married name.  Neither of these will be issued more than three months before the date of the marriage.

Application forms can be obtained from the Post Office or downloaded from the Passport Agency.  Once you have given your notice of marriage, the forms can be filled in by the applicant and the Registrar who is arranging the marriage.

4. The Day of Your Ceremony

On the day of your ceremony, couples will see the Registrar before the ceremony begins, and you can choose whether to be seen separately or together. The registration staff will arrive at the venue at least 30 minutes before the ceremony is due to begin, and will discuss what will happen during the ceremony.

Please be aware that it is vital that your ceremony starts on time, and any delays may result in the ceremony being rearranged for a time later in the day.

In the unlikely event that the registrar does not arrive 30 minutes prior to the commencement of your ceremony, the couple are requested to contact 07815 827848 to notify the registration team.  This will avoid any delays to your ceremony. The licensed venue as part of the requirements of being approved for ceremonies is also required to contact the standby registration team.

If the ceremony is delayed as a result of the standby registration team not being notified within the timescale set out above by the couple or licensed venue, Staffordshire Registration Service cannot be held liable for any compensatory payments as a result of any such delay.