Registry office wedding / no guests?

[rach971]

Has anyone here done a registry office wedding just you and your partner? I know there has to be two witnesses though, who did you have as your witnesses?

What was the wedding like? Was it nice just having the two of you and the witnesses there, no big fancy wedding?

Did you wear a wedding dress? Have flowers? Did you get a chauffeur car to the registry office? Basically any details you could give me would be great. Me and my partner don't want a big fancy wedding with guests we just want it to be us two. I'm just not sure how it all works though and what we do/don't need or should/shouldn't have etc. I would like a wedding dress but at the same time I feel like it's pointless if we have no guests to see it 🤣

I don't know, I'm rambling now, just looking for input & stories really 🥰 Thanks in advance x

People sometimes ask on here for witnesses.

Do what you want. It'll be your memories and photographs so wear what you want, arrive how you want, carry what you want etc.!

Watching with interest!

We just had our parents. I wore a vintage evening dress and carried a bunch of flowers (as opposed to a bouquet!). My dad drove us and walked me down the aisle, he asked to and I had no reason to say no, it made him happy. Booked a photographer for an hour at the registry office so I could have some photos where everyone looked the right way and no one's head was chopped off, I ended up with 10 lovely ones. Champagne and cake at ours, out for dinner later, home. Twas perfect.

Mine was small, but a friend did this. Eloped just her and DH. Their witnesses were photographer and 1 other. Yes to wedding dress, though not super fancy. It looked amazing from the pictures, so intimate

Did just this . Me and hubby and two close friends.

had a party afterwards , planned ahead, but on one knew why.

we are very much still married -almost 28 years later, was a party/event out friends and familystill talk about and say they loved.

Wore a lovely dress and jacket I had worn before , had a bouquet, nice cake.

thoroughly recommend

• have to add that if our son Did this now I would understand but feel like we had missed out a little ? I know. Hypocrite

We brought two ‘resting’ actor friends as witnesses, as our north London registry office said they had a policy of no longer ‘lending’ backroom staff, and where I used to work meant I was often rushing to give a lecture and having to say no to stressed brides and grooms looking for passersby as witnesses. I wore jeans, biker boots, a pea coat and a bouquet, and walked to the ceremony from home — DH went straight from work. Whole thing took ten minutes, then we took our witnesses for posh tapas and champagne in a black cab.

It was low-key, romantic and very, very casual.

But do what you like — other people on the same day were wearing wedding clothes, white dresses, vintage 1930s outfits etc.

Oh, and other friends who got married there got firefighters from a nearby station to be witnesses!

We married at the registry office with my sister and father in law as witnesses, I didn't wear a wedding dress just a nice dress, I was heavily pregnant so afterwards went home and had a dominoes pizza. It was what we wanted, completely stress free and didn't cost much at all. I wouldn't change it at all. My friend recently got married, spent £30k on a big wedding, it was lovely and it's what they wanted. Just do what you would like to do

We did registry office, just us 2 and 4 witnesses (the most important 4 people in our lives).

I wouldn't change it for the world. It was a beautiful day.

We didn't have a car, I didn't have my hair and make up done professionally, I didn't wear a traditional wedding dress - just a nice Grecian style dress (not white). A relative made my bouquet and we had the registrar and passers by (as we left) offering to take our pictures, which came out beautifully - we chose a very nice registry office that had lovely gardens and scenery around.

We walked in together to 'our song'. Nobody 'gave me away' We were in it together, as equal partners, hand in hand walking towards the registrar.

The 6 of us all went for a lovely meal at a gorgeous country restaurant afterwards, then we all went back to ours for drinks and a natter, before the 2 of us headed off on a mini honeymoon (just went away for a couple of nights in the UK) the next morning.

Not to everyone's taste, but it was perfect for us. We are both big believers that the actual marriage is the important part and the wedding day is just one day at the start. It doesn't have to be a big showy event, it just has to mean something to you both.

I will say however, if you do decide to go small...be prepared for people to have an opinion and throw their dummies out the pram. You'd be surprised how many people seem to get offended that you aren't doing your wedding the way THEY want you to do it. Or how many people get offended that they aren't invited. We had quite a few relatives fall out with us about the way we chose to get married, some even claiming I was controlling my DH, or vice versa, as they couldn't possibly imagine 2 people wanting a wedding that wasn't a big song and dance. Almost a decade later and they've all got over it.. finally 🤣

We did this. Witnesses were DH sister and my oldest nephew. I wore a white lace dress that wasn't too ott as wedding dress and was 8.5 months pregnant. It was so much more intimate I think than a full on wedding and I wouldn't do it differently if I could. If that's what you both want then go for it

Yes. My mum and dad were witnesses and our dc came. We went out for lunch afterwards. No flowers, photographer, car or anything. I don’t regret it at all, except I wished I had worn a pretty dress.

That sounds so lovely 😍 What a dream day! For some reason I hadn't even thought of a photographer. It's a shame because my partner is good with a camera but he can't take them if he's gotta be in them 🤣

The above was supposed to be a reply to @Bananasplitlady. It for some reason didn't tag her 🤦‍♀️

@72EasyLessons That would be pretty cool having firefighters there! I feel a little uneasy about having strangers there though. But I also feel uneasy about just having two people that I know there... 🤣 Feels awkward somehow

@Spacemoon That sounds absolutely amazing 😍 Although I definitely DO want my hair and makeup doing professionally, just because of how horrendous I am at doing either of those things!

I think we're quite lucky in that I don't think anyone we know would spit their dummies out. Neither of us have big families and neither of us are particularly super close with our family (bar our parents). My mum and dad eloped to Gretna Green and his parents have been divorced etc and are very laid back. I'd be very surprised it anyone was upset/annoyed over us choosing to do the registry office thing.

We drive there
I had a dress which was cream and pink
DH had a new suit and pink shirt/tie
I had my bouquet delivered to the registry office
Photographer package hit plus 10 photos - brought an album myself
Lunch out
witness was DH sister and boyfriend at the time.
Wouldn’t change it for the world.

DP and I are doing exactly this next year. We’re going to stay at a fancy hotel round the corner from the registry office and have booked a photographer for 2 hours. She is going to meet us at the hotel then we’ll walk round. She has agreed to be our witness. The registry office is in a tourist spot so should be easy enough to get someone else off the street. I’ve bought a wedding dress from Asos and I’ll have a bouquet of dried flowers. I’ll get my hair and makeup done as I’m rubbish at doing that myself. In the evening we’ll go for a meal and stay overnight again. We’re picking all the bits we want and leaving the rest out. It does at times seem a little ott for just the 2 of us but this is going to be my only wedding and we’re doing whatever we want and just pleasing ourselves.

We’ve mentioned eloping to our families and I think everyone is expecting us to do that. The only thing I feel I’m missing out on is a hen do which makes me a bit sad. I don’t have many friends so even if we weren’t eloping I wouldn’t have a girly day out or weekend away anyway but someone to organise a nice afternoon tea with female family for me would have been nice.

Following as we are the same. Have even thought about a hotel sort of thing so that the staff can be the witnesses.

These sounds perfect! Here's our tiny wedding plan. Hoping to get a slot anytime really this summer. Don't mind a weekday.

Travel together from home to city centre registry office. It has a nice facade and steps for photos which will just be selfies and snaps on witnesses phones.
Me, DH to be, our little DD and his best mate and my best mate the only guests/ witnesses.
I've got a cream coast dress from vinted for £25 for my wedding dress that I'll wear with a denim jacket that's very me (had it for 25 years) and either flat sandals or trainers.
The only slight extravagance is we will let Dd choose and wear a bridesmaid or party dress which we will probably buy new on high st or let her choose from vinted. She's old enough to be excited about a twirly dress and I think her mum and dads wedding would be a lovely memory.
No music, readings or rings.
We will take the friends for a lunch afterwards to say thank you for being the witnesses, and head home.
🤍🤍🤍 My dream wedding.

We are doing this in a few months. We have booked a lovely registry office in the city and then going for a posh lunch (one of those long tasting menu types that takes hours) - we are foodies but couldn't justify paying these prices unless for such a special occasion. Afterwards we are going to hit up our favourite pub for some more drinks, then head home and chill as we have an early flight to honeymoon the next day.

I have a hair and make up person as a treat and a photographer for 2.5-3 hours to take photos of the ceremony and then couple shots as we walk around. She'll be one witness and the town hall are able to provide another at request.

I got my gorgeous dress from Outnet in the sales (its designer and white rather than bridal) and DP spent some money on getting a suit made and shoes as he never does anything like it otherwise. We both like fashion so this bit was most exciting to us. It's meant we could spend money on the wedding bits we enjoy!

Our families are fine with it, and so are our friends. Except one friend who was most upset. But she can't fathom not celebrating every minor thing as she loves hosting. She'll get over it! We are late 30s and people know we don't like a fuss. In fact some friends did say they wish they'd eloped as our plans sound so nice. I was married before and had a more traditional wedding and honestly found it stressful as I hate being centre of attention. And in all honesty I didn't really think much of the wedding afterwards as we did so many more exciting things that were more memorable (buying our house, getting a dream job etc). We had one wedding photo framed but then our social media and other photos were all from honeymoon anyway as it was way cooler. So this time around I'm keeping it more intimate and DP is an introvert anyway.