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AIBU?

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Original poster

To ask if you had strangers as witnesses...

63 replies

junglebookisthebest · 04/09/2017 20:05

... to your low key wedding?
How did you 'get' them?
Get there early to accost random people in the street?
Are you allowed to ask people that work in the registry office?
Any tips/stories welcomed as we've just booked our wedding for next summer but are doing it on our own and wondering about the practicalities of it...

OP posts:
NeedsAsockamnesty · 04/09/2017 20:48

I've used a cab driver and a random busker

NeedsAsockamnesty · 04/09/2017 20:50

beelover it may be different in different areas.

A friend of mine got hitched last week and asked two strangers at a bus stop outside she knew the next bus wasn't for an hour si they had time to kill

DrudgeJedd · 04/09/2017 20:51

Oh that's a shame, we married at Gretna & asked a couple of guys who were taking their kids to the swing park next door. Lovely little girls who sat & grinned at us

2ducks2ducklings · 04/09/2017 20:53

We did. A lovely older couple in Gretna Green. We didn't pick them, the company who arranged our wedding contacted them for us.

TwoMummyPigs · 04/09/2017 20:54

When my GF and I get married I'm going to ask for witnesses on here. We are going to do it secretly :)

SilentlyScreamingAgain · 04/09/2017 21:01

We got our witnesses from MN. They were both lovely, turned up and did the necessary.

One tuned out to be exceptionally good value and has brought us hours of amusing Facebook joy and has recently gone above and beyond by offering to sell us a spare child.

I would highly recommend it.

Beholdtheflorist · 04/09/2017 21:05

I went all bridezilla when we were planning our wedding (and trust me, out of me and my wife, no one but no one saw that coming). Eventually my wife to be sat me down and pointed out she'd agreed to a wedding, not a circus,

So we pared down, decided to get married on New Years Eve and I ended up asking on here if anyone in West Sussex fancied being a witness at a lesbian wedding! At the time, I thought it would be great if we got one person but we ended up with lots of offers. The two wonderful mumsnetters who came are friends for life and our wedding was amazing. Intimate, romantic and joyful.

No family stress, nothing to worry about (apart from whether they'd actually turn up). Just a lovely day.

I'd absolutely recommend it. I loved my wedding.

JanQuadrantVincent · 04/09/2017 21:06

Just tagging in secretly hoping I'm in your area to volunteer my services. Love a wedding me Flowers

considers lurking by the local registry office on my next free afternoon

PanannyPanoo · 04/09/2017 21:10

We walked down the road half hour before we got married and found a couple unpacking their Tesco shopping. They were lovely, came up after putting their frozen stuff away and we still exchange Xmas cards.

tootssweet · 04/09/2017 21:10

I'm always jealous when a call goes out for witnesses cause they never seem to be local to me! I'd love to do this (& could provide details a week in advance if i had to!)

RaeSkywalker · 04/09/2017 21:10

My Aunt called a local old people's home and asked if any residents would like to witness a marriage.

TimbuktuTimbuktu · 04/09/2017 21:12

considers lurking by the local registry office on my next free afternoon

I was just thinking the same Jan. What day of the week do you think people are more likely to have a witness required wedding? More of a weekday than a weekend thing?

I'll even splash out on a new hat Grin

hazeyjane · 04/09/2017 21:18

We were told we couldn't ask someone in the registry office. It was all a bit nerve wracking as several people turned us down! However we found a couple in the car park, they were American, very tall and good looking, and made us look like a couple of hobbits.

scarlett1987 · 04/09/2017 21:24

I got married in Grenta Green, we were offered witnesses within the package. (Didn't need them though)

JanQuadrantVincent · 04/09/2017 21:24

Timbuktu I feel like apart from a Saturday maybe a Thursday would be a good shout - in term time of course. You are also quite right, I will need to make sure I'm wedding appropriate and have a Mary Poppinsesque bag with wedding paraphernalia in - confetti, booze, glasses, sewing kit, a copy of Captain Corelli's Mandolin.

JanQuadrantVincent · 04/09/2017 21:25

hazeyjane PEOPLE TURNED YOU DOWN?! Who were these love grinches

123rd · 04/09/2017 21:37

We got eloped to a different part of the country. I went to my local library and looked in the yellow pages that was local to where we were going and found a female photographer ( in the days before you could google anything!!!)
Didn't even think about needing two witnesses until really close to the day then I called the photographer up again and said did she know anyone... her mum came along and was second witness.
Was lovely.

Crispsheets · 04/09/2017 21:40

We are doing this next year ...midweek, just us. If there are any Saltaire people here.....Grin

RedastheRose · 04/09/2017 22:01

I worked in a job centre 20+ years ago and a couple wandered in and asked if we could be witnesses for their wedding which was in a couple of hours as they'd eloped to be without the hassle of a big wedding. Was gutted to it be able to oblige as I was working but two clients did the honours.

Fluffyears · 04/09/2017 22:09

We're considering eloping and as part of the package they'll supply witnesses for you. You don't need to know them they just need to be over 16 and understand what they are agreeing to.

3wayburger · 04/09/2017 22:12

I was on holiday in Scotland 20years ago,
When the lady in the cottage next door knocked on and ask if dp and I would be able to spare a hour to be witness to their wedding.
It was a lovely thing to do and a lovely day.
We are still in touch now.

NotTheCoolMum · 04/09/2017 22:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

user1485009271 · 04/09/2017 22:16

We contacted the local tech to get student photographers to take pictures for us to save some money-they did witness for us,suited us perfectly

Revenant · 04/09/2017 22:19

We found witnesses online - there are specialist sites but you have to pay)

WittyBrittleTrier · 04/09/2017 22:21

We asked the owners of the B & B we were staying in. They were lovely and took us for a drink afterwards.