Did any of you get married in a registery office???

[3peasinapod]

Thinking of getting married, dont want fuss just somthing simple.
Just want to know what was you day like?

We got married in a registry office, just me, DH, DD and my two brothers as witnesses. Total cost of ceremony was around £100 including the licence. We had cake and champagne in my brother's flat afterwards (he lives five minutes away) and then went to Pizza Express. We liked it but obviously it wouldn't suit everyone. We didn't want to write our own vows or any of that stuff so it was very quick. We chose some music to play before and after which we took on a CD. That was all. I bought a new T shirt to wear (about £30) and the meal came to less than £120 with booze.

That sounds lovely Horton.

All these stories of small, intimate weddings are making me very and a little bit .

We did just over 2 weeks ago it was lovely and intimate.
Yes it is extremely brief if you choose that way but they do have slightly "fluffier" ceremonies which are a bit longer and you can have people do readings (as long as they are non religious and you discuss this with the registrar) and make it a bit longer and a bit more personal.
We then went somewhere for photos and back to my house for the party and us young grown up went out to the pub later and the grandparents took all the various children for the night was fab day no huge fuss.

I have planned a huge wedding in a previous life and learnt well and truly the wedding itself was not going to make a marriage so do it your way with as little or as much fuss as you want.

It was really nice, TAFKA. The one thing I regret is that we don't have more photos, although one of my brothers did take some.

We stayed in a posh hotel in London for 3 days with friends and dd (18m at the time). Then did the deed at Chelsea registry office - wedding venue to the stars. Then all went for lunch at bluebird afterwards. It was lovely but I did wish that my sister and best friend had been there too.

We had a very minimal service in reg office, just us and two friends for witnesses, didn't tell anyone else we were going that. Didn't do rings or anything, just told the man we only wanted the bare minimum to be legally married. Went in jeans, went to pub after. Then 2 days later we had the 'wedding' - humanist ceremony in a pub hall/function room with disco/buffet etc after. I had a wedding dress, flowers etc.

I didn't want anyone to come to the reg office because there would be bickering about who came/who didn't, and no to church as DH lapsed divorced catholic and I'm atheist. Didn't want a trad service AT ALL, not least as my dad wasn't giving me away (because he's a knob and i was giving myself away, he has no rights to be involved, DH persuaded me to invite him as a guest)

Bloody fab. Very relaxed, very low key, and pretty damn cheap too, DH's relative owns the pub so I paid for the buffet food and friend did disco, another friend did hair, I did my own flowers and makeup etc. Did splash out on a posh cake.

An elderly relative said to me after, 'you know it was lovely, just like a real wedding' PMSL

Oh and I had a free photographer too, a newspaper photographer who was getting wedding experience for his portfolio

Thank you all, your days sound lovely and peacefull and not all drama. Seen to many weddings where its all stress and worry. I am picking up alot of ideas as to what we will do.

We just want to be married with little fuss so registery office, meal and a jolly good knees up is sounding like a plan with ONLY family....

We had a register office wedding with about 25 family/friends, then walked to nearby pub for a buffet and booze with 50ish people. It was brilliant - no frills, no fuss, just a good time and lots of drunken happy memories

Megbusset
That what we want, no frills no fuss. Looking at about 25 of us, all i need to do is book a meal for us all. Going to see register next week to set a date.. Not going to tell family till about a month before hand. Gie them time to make it on there calender!

I married in a register office too and had a reception at a local venue. Made all my guests walk the mile to get there too

I don't like princess type weddings. I think the wedding is for the guests, while the marriage is for us. We spent ages making sure that the food was nice and that everyone had plenty to drink and things to do, and we didn't bother with a photographer as I find they tend to disrupt everything.

My SILs are both a bit cross with me for not doing the big white wedding thing. I think big weddings are fine if they happen in the head of an 8 year old girl and involve Barbie and Ken.

3peasinapod That is exactly what we did organised it all then told everyone in enough time for them to make it.
Was only very close family anyway.

I got married in a registry office at about 11.30am on a weekday
it was very nice very intimate wedding with just family and few friends
we were able to choose the music
the place was nicely decorated with fresh flowers, not that noticed

we then went up the road to a nice hotel for a wedding breakfast, we were staying there that night and a lot of the guests hang around until late drinking and talking to general other guests and apparently eating the rest of the big chocolate wedding cake

everyone there loved the day and still talk about it as one of the nicest wedding they attended

Oh yeah ours was a Wednesday week days tend to be a fair bit cheaper than a saturday too.

these weddings sound lovely!!!
can i ask a quest??? r u allowed photos thru the wedding, and signing register (i assume u do that still??) or is it a case of pics only allowed after & outside??

registry office for me - lovely old house though, not a modern building. Max of 50 guests allowed, lovely gardens for photos.

Reception in local Holiday Inn - good value, although not the loveliest of buildings, everyone had a great time and several said it was one of the best weddings they had been to (reduced room rates for guests as well)

ah yes, mine was a Friday too.

Pics and video allowed throughout, although best to ask permission. Not allowed to photograph the actual register signing, they give you a fake one to do the photos straight afterwards.
We also had music during the signing - a couple of friends did song and Irish flute for us. Again permission probably best requested, and any music you want has to be provided on a CD a week in advance for approval - no churchy music allowed.

re pictures my FIL and others took pictures before after and during although most during signing

thanks thumb!

the fake signing yes forgot about that with the silly quill which made us giggle throughout

We got married in a reg office 9 years ago. Just before all sorts of other Civil venues took off, we just didn't want anything churchy.

Booked register office, for next available spring/summer Saturday. Booked in May, for the following April. Went to Bakewell, as it was out nearest town, but also very pretty! It seated 40, but we had many friends spliing down the stairs too. The registrar was fine with it.

Had to do all the displaying banns etc sometime in advance.

Stayed in hotel up the road. Got band from local college to do music. Reception in one of the few restuarants in Bakewell - with a river garden, so lovely. V few flowers due to hayfever, no balloons due to autistic nephew - no one noticed lack of these decorations!

No cars - town is tiny.

Godfather gave me away (Dad died a long time ago. I know it is odd to have a Godfather, yet still not want a churchy wedding).

Went to pub in the afternoon with my uncles and brothers, as restaurant was clearing away meal, and setting up for dancing.

Cost less than £5K, lovely day. My sister got married about 18 months earlier, and spent a similar amount on matchbooks!

We were allowed photos during the actual signing of the register.
We got some good pictures throughout and my dad and SIL had video cameras so got the whole thing on tape including when dh finished his vow declaring himself to me and you can actuall see me mouthint "fool" at him

We were going to book a meal somewhere but we have a fair sized house and with it only being close family my mum did the buffet here.
Honestly couldn't have enjoyed the day more if we had gone for the big todo. Goes far too quickly though.