Wedding registrars asking for more money

Largestlegocollectionever · 05/07/2025 14:08

YABU for using the name karen as an insult

YANBU re price hike

TooManyNiblings · 05/07/2025 14:08

Largestlegocollectionever · 05/07/2025 14:08

YABU for using the name karen as an insult

YANBU re price hike

Absolutely this

tartyflette · 05/07/2025 14:11

This will probably depend on their Ts and Cs, ask for clarification.
It does seem like they’re trying it on, though.

Original poster

SpoonyAquaAnt · 05/07/2025 14:12

Sorry didn’t mean to offend anyone, I’ve edited it now 🙃

OP posts:

PonyPatter44 · 05/07/2025 14:30

That's a bit rubbish - did you originally book more than a year ago? I booked the registrars for my wedding about a year in advance, and the lady I spoke to said their rates always changed on the 1st April, so I was lucky my wedding was on the 29th March, as I still got the "cheaper" rate. I mean, it was over £700 so "cheaper" is entirely relative, but still...

Just check all the details, and contact them through the official council website rather than any phone number in the email.

Original poster

SpoonyAquaAnt · 05/07/2025 14:33

I booked back in December for the end of July, but rang at the time to check this was okay to do and was told yes, which is annoying now!

OP posts:

SprayWhiteDung · 05/07/2025 14:44

It's annoying, but I presume it's the council/other local authority? If so, they hold all the cards and there's no scope for 'goodwill' as there may have been if it were a private company whom you'd booked and paid promptly well in advance.

If you refuse, they'll just cancel the booking and refund what you've already paid (possibly even minus an admin fee, depending on what their - no doubt lengthy - T&Cs say); so you won't actually have a wedding.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 05/07/2025 14:51

Typical council mentality

They could quite easily apply the increase just to new bookings, but no - they always grasp for more to waste

I'd say how would they feel if one of their suppliers, having signed a contract, tried to chisel more, but actually they accept such things all the time; after all why worry when it's not their money they're spending

PotteringAlonggotkickedoutandhadtoreregister · 05/07/2025 15:26

I would just ignore it. You’ve paid in full for the service and paid the amount you were billed at the time. I assume you have paperwork on with the price - which is the price you agreed - and that you paid.

Unless it says that you might be liable for increased costs I think they’re trying it on.

Edited to say I thought you had got married 3 weeks ago, not due to get married in 3 weeks. In which case I would still call and argue they are in the wrong, but you might end up paying.

TheLette · 05/07/2025 15:38

Was the possibility of a price increase brought to your attention at the time of booking? If not just tell them that the agreement was for £X and you never agreed to anything about a possible price increase.

AKAanothername · 05/07/2025 16:01

I'd pay it. It's all very well people saying you've already paid the agreed price so don't pay the increase but it's not like you can shop around for a better deal. If you don't have a registrar you can't get married.

SprayWhiteDung · 05/07/2025 19:47

AKAanothername · 05/07/2025 16:01

I'd pay it. It's all very well people saying you've already paid the agreed price so don't pay the increase but it's not like you can shop around for a better deal. If you don't have a registrar you can't get married.

Yes, I agree - they have the monopoly and trying to argue or negotiate with councils is like banging your head against a brick wall.

ThejoyofNC · 05/07/2025 19:56

I'd just reply saying you've already paid in full for the service and they cannot ask for more money now.

It's like Tesco asking you to pay more money for last week's shopping because the prices have changed now.

ARichtGoodDram · 05/07/2025 20:05

It will likely say in the ts&cs that you have to pay the new price for events after 1st April.

FebruaryUsername · 05/07/2025 20:06

When we booked, it was in the Ts and Cs that the actual final price would be set by the local authority and we would have to pay the extra closer to the time. Our was about £100 extra too, their prices rise each tax year.

GardenGaff · 05/07/2025 20:07

If you want to get married in 3 weeks, then phone up and pay it.

If you want to waste time trying to deal with the sheer incompetence of your local council, arguing over £100, and run the risk that your phone calls, emails and letters disappear into some back hole and you turn up on the day in all your finery to find some jobsworth has cancelled your booking, then don’t.

GardenGaff · 05/07/2025 20:09

It's like Tesco asking you to pay more money for last week's shopping because the prices have changed now.

It’s not though, because you’ve already had the shopping and eaten it.

SprayWhiteDung · 05/07/2025 21:44

From the council's pov, you could theoretically book 2, 5, 10, 20 years in advance - that wouldn't in any way entitle you to use the service in 2045 at 2025 prices.

A booking is one thing, but all that matters to them is the applicable price on the actual date when you use the service. Just like when things like stamp duty increase - your property chain could have been ongoing for months, but if it completes on the first day of the new rate, that's what you have to pay.

To be fair, although it's highly unlikely to ever happen that way around, if the price/rate had since gone down since you booked and paid, they would automatically refund the difference to you.

AbzMoz · 05/07/2025 22:23

Ooh this would bug me, especially cos it’s an irritant in the run up to your wedding.

if you can let it slide then definitely do as it’s possibly not worth the fuss.

But I’d have thought that if you’ve a contract in place for an agreed price and paid it upfront they can’t decide to just change the price. Maybe their t&c or booking confirmation might note ‘subject to changes’ and maybe they’ll dig in as after all there is no alternative, but this is pretty shoddy tbh.

Haribosweets · 05/07/2025 23:06

A lot of registration districts raise their fees each year on 1st April. You should have been told verbally upon booking (if booked over phone) but you'll also have T & Cs which will state you pay the fee according to the year you marry. It'll be in your confirmation emails and also most probably on their website

Whynotjustengageyourbrain · 05/07/2025 23:13

SpoonyAquaAnt · 05/07/2025 14:07

Hi I’m looking for advice,
I get married in 3 weeks time and received this email yesterday from the registrars
“Good afternoon, our records shows that you paid the £458 fee for your ceremony fee some time ago, thank you. As our prices rose on 1 April 2025, I do need to collect a further £100.
Please let me know when its convenient for you to make this payment over the phone.
Many thanks”

I paid back in December, Can they ask us to pay more as they’ve raised their prices since? Surely that’s not on?
I don’t think we should have to, but am I being a dick about it?

I'm pretty sure legally they can't do that. Sorry didn't mean to quote you

Puzzledandpissedoff · 06/07/2025 15:42

GardenGaff · 05/07/2025 20:07

If you want to get married in 3 weeks, then phone up and pay it.

If you want to waste time trying to deal with the sheer incompetence of your local council, arguing over £100, and run the risk that your phone calls, emails and letters disappear into some back hole and you turn up on the day in all your finery to find some jobsworth has cancelled your booking, then don’t.

Sensible and pragmatic advice

While many agree they're behaving disgracefully I'm afraid that's councils for you and trying to argue or even bring logic into it is a complete waste of time

The only real answer is to avoid dealing with them unless absolutely obliged, but that's for the future and in the meanttime I hope your wedding's beautiful