When do you think registry office weddings will be allowed again?

[plainflower]

Just as the title says really. We would like to get married next month or In July. Do you think registry office weddings will be allowed to go ahead by then? If so, how does it work in terms of giving notice of marriage? Could we do that now? Thanks all x

Hello

I just feel really miserable having just received an email confirming our marriage but then followed by this set of rues:

*• No person will be permitted to enter the building if they show any symptoms of Covid-19 or are currently quarantining. Two metre distancing will be maintained at all times in line with government guidelines and health and safety requirements.

• Please arrive 15 minutes before your ceremony. On arrival you will be asked to wait outside the main entrance with your witnesses and guests. All people entering the building must wash their hands with the hand gel provided at the entrance.

• A member of our staff will come to the door and collect you and take you to the ceremony room for the pre-ceremony interview. Once this has been completed your witnesses and guests will be invited to join you in the ceremony room. Regrettably you will not be able to make an entrance or be seen separately.

• The toilets in the building will be closed so neither you nor your party will be able to use them. Please advise people in advance.

• To ensure your health and safety, we will be cleaning the ceremony room between ceremonies, so please ensure that you and your party are on time.

• If you are exchanging rings, please have them in your possession before the ceremony starts. Only you will pick up your partner’s ring and place it on their finger.

• We will provide wipes and tissues for your use. Please dispose of them after use in the bin provided.

• You are welcome to kiss each other at the end of the ceremony, if you so wish, but for your own safety we advise you not to kiss, hug or shake the hand of any other member of your party unless they are living in your immediate household.

• Photographs can be taken from your seat to maintain social distancing. Please do not ask the registrars to take any photos for you.

• A separate fountain pen will be supplied for you and your witnesses when signing the register. This will be disinfected between each use.

• At the end of the ceremony the couple will exit as directed by the registrar. They will be followed by the guests, at socially distanced intervals. Please ensure that all personal items are removed from the ceremony room as there will be no opportunity to return to collect them after the ceremony has ended*

The fact they have to say they are allowing us to hug/kiss...wtf?!!!
I am so upset. Just looking at the news people will be able to fly/go to the pub/go shopping yet these rules are so ridiculous.
I am furious. They could have done it in a way that still retained kindness and understanding

I have no words. Hopefully you'll have a nice registrar who can try to make it a better experience than what it looks like in black and white.

Wow that does sound very clinical. I guess though that these places have been told exactly what they must do. Right now I would take that over not getting married at all....and do it all again when situation is better

My local registry office isn't even allowing the couple to kiss.

"Conclusion of ceremony - The invitation to ‘kiss’ at the end of the ceremony is not permitted."

MoreGinPlease2020 unbelievable! I am utterly shocked at such a rule!

Dear god, really...So you could live together and do way more than kiss prior to the ceremony, so that really is ridiculous....As I said earlier though its something we have to tolerate at the moment or wait months until normal ish resumes...

It's madness. We've postponed to May next year when hopefully things will be a bit more normal, but were hoping to get legally married before then as we're expecting a baby in November. They're not taking new bookings until January anyway and one of the registry offices is limiting to 6 "guests" - but that includes the couple, two registrars and an official person from the venue (meaning you can't even have two witnesses of your choice!).

Congratulations Willow, that absolutely sounds wonderful

We are due to get married beginning of August (cancelled during pandemic, small registry office so picked a date in August hoping all would be good).

I’ve had to contact the registry office myself to ask if all going ahead! Yes it is but only two witnesses can attend one of those can be our ds otherwise we wouldn’t have gone ahead.

So, not what we envisioned but at least we can do it.

Not sure what to do afterwards though.

How awful reading that list of rules.
I'm still waiting to hear from the registry office to see if they'll allow our wedding to go ahead on the 28th July.

Is anyone else still waiting?

Is anyone else regretting not postponing their wedding? I'm not regretting it but I would have loved just a moment to enjoy looking forward to it....

Yeah we've contacted them (via online form, they're not answering the phone) to try to find out what the rules will be. Can't see why they didn't put the info online tbh, would surely save a lot of enquiries?

My main question atm is, if it's us two and witnesses, can DCs attend? They're our household and we're a shielding household too - they add literally no additional risk at all. Though of course by the shielding rules I can't attend my own wedding anyway!

Obviously they have to write rules that apply to everyone, not that can be bent by me because my children are an exception. I'm just fed up (having been shielding) of rules written for lowest common denominator

Aprilfoolsbaby We're still waiting, i haven't bothered to contact them as their website just says they can't give a date of when they will be reopening.
To be fair, they have been good at contacting us throughout this whole thing, but it would be nice to have some idea.
I've had to pick myself up several times after potential wedding dates came and went. I just want an end to it now, I'm tired of it. I probably should have postponed until next year but who knows if that would be any better?

Hi

BeyondDreamsOfBeyondFourWalls just to answer you question about guests and children. We are allowed 4 guests but that would include any children. I mean now a baby can be a witness?! Imagine if you have several kids of marrying with kids from both parents who were more than 4

I had an email from my registry office, it can go ahead at the end of august with 2 witnesses

Im glad the offices are finally getting in touch....A date is better than the not knowing !!

Ours is two witnesses only, ds (13) can be a witness.

I assumed only adults could be witnesses - is that not the case?

@KarenKuruma I was told that ds could be a witness, the person I spoke to had to call me back once he’d verified it.

As long as the witness knows what they are signing & witnessing then our local authority at least, say yes

Oo interesting - I may end up having my DCs then! :)

@Satanet I've just had a call from the mansion house. It's a maximum of 13 guests (need to check whether that means inc us or not), music has to be played via a phone by a guest - not a CD, they will need names and addresses of all guests beforehand, and they cannot offer access to the grounds following the ceremony. However they will be giving us a partial refund for the inconvenience :)

So the beyond wedding will be going ahead in less than three weeks time!! 🎉🎉🎉

[quote BeyondDreamsOfBeyondFourWalls]@Satanet I've just had a call from the mansion house. It's a maximum of 13 guests (need to check whether that means inc us or not), music has to be played via a phone by a guest - not a CD, they will need names and addresses of all guests beforehand, and they cannot offer access to the grounds following the ceremony. However they will be giving us a partial refund for the inconvenience :)

So the beyond wedding will be going ahead in less than three weeks time!! 🎉🎉🎉[/quote]
Wow that is very good news indeed. Thanks for that....I had an email today. Ours can go ahead at the end of July too. So relived and prepared to abide by any rules....hope it all goes fabulous for you !!!

I have just realised in all the excitement that I dont have any witness's and as we are hoping to keep it secret for a while it rules out everyone we know. Does anyone know if you can hire witness's in Newport area please?

I would say we'd do it for you satanet, but we're shielding so I'm not technically supposed to be attending my own wedding
Let me know when you have a date though and I can see what I can do.

KarenKaruma . Thats very kind, thank you. We are on 28th July @ 10am. Only 3 weeks away and Im not sure when shielding ends. I have read conflicting things and I wouldnt want to put you at risk...will you wear masks to yours...?