To ask how you get can possibly get married in secret?

[Rainbowchampagne]

Me and DP would like to get married in our local registry office just us two.

They only accommodate this sort of ceremony Monday - Thursday, which means my chosen witnesses wouldn’t be able to come

How on earth can you get married in secret if you have no witnesses? I darent do the whole “pulling people off the street”

I won’t be having a photographer or anything and even so, that would only be one witness

Has anyone done this successfully?

Use MN for witnesses. Wouldn't be the first time!

Would your two chosen witnesses not be able to take the day off work or arrange childcare for a few hours etc so they can make it?

You could ask if the people who work there will act as witnesses. But why not ask two people off the street?

I don't think most people feel the need to get married in secret, so it's probably not an issue.

If you want to keep it a secret wouldn't it be better to get strangers to witness it? Could you schedule it far enough ahead to allow your witnesses to take time off work?

Why wouldn't they be able to have an hour or so off Mon-Thurs to sign the paperwork?

If there’s a wedding before you there may be guests around for that one, who’ve arrived early.

My experience is that you can have it at a weekend you just need to pay more than the cheap 2+2 deal. Or as PP suggested, ask mumsnet for witnesses. Also different Registry Offices have different rules so that could be another option to investigate. Or you could get married in church, the fees are the same no matter what day of the week you marry.

I got married in my lunch break and asked office workers in the building to be witnesses. Then I went back to the office. Word of warning: it was shit

Do they only carry out weddings Monday to Thursday, or do they restrict what days you can have small weddings? That seems odd, especially as people are being encouraged to have as few people as possible.

Have you asked if Staff are willing to be witnesses?

What do you mean 'they only accommodate this sort of wedding Mon - Thursday? . Does the register office ask how many guests you are inviting? I got married on a Saturday with only three guests (two witnesses plus DMIL ). We didn't do it 'secretly', just told one or two people - including my own parents - that we were getting married quietly.

Where do b you live OP? If it's close to me, I'll be your witness!

Caution - that's sad, my DPs did the same and are celebrating their 60th anniversary next year . When their boss found out he did tell them to have the afternoon off!

Well if your chosen witnesses absolutely can't make the available dates and you "daren't" ask people off the street then you can't do it can you.

But it’s not secret if you’ve told your chosen witnesses.

Can your witnesses not get an afternoon off?

I was once a witness for a secret MN wedding!

Our registry office is in a library. It's small, beige and ugly.

It's going to be perfect for when we get secretly married next year. I plan to rope in the librarians

We did it, but the friends we had as witnesses took the day off work. I don't see the problem with pulling people off the street though.
I just couldn't face the whole wedding thing but wanted to be married.

We told family and friends the next day, everyone was happy for us.

I daren't do the whole “pulling people off the street”
Why not? I would love to be asked!

What about your next door neighbours or similar? The ceremony really only takes 20 minutes so it can easily be done in a lunch hour if it’s very local.

@DappledThings

I daren't do the whole “pulling people off the street” Why not? I would love to be asked!

Yeah, me too!

I'd be able to tell people 'you'll never guess what I did today?'

Our registry wedding had two witnesses of the street. It actually made it fun and what an experience trying to rope people in! Not a secret wedding as such, due to DH nationality and paperwork, we could only get the church wedding side of things done without making it “legal” which we did two months later at the registry office in our home town.

I tell this story a LOT

I was a witness for a Local mumsnetter I didn’t know.
Even today I can’t remember her name (sorry)
Two of us rocked up, gave And received presents, signed the register, had a photo, had a little weep, kissed the bride and buggered off.
It was VERY touching and romantic

Here you can choose your own witnesses or ask the registry office who organize witnesses. In those cases 2 employees come in for a few minutes.

I'd be able to tell people 'you'll never guess what I did today
Totally!