Your Perfect Day (PDF)
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YOUR PERFECT DAY YOUR GUIDE TO MARRIAGES, CIVIL PARTNERSHIPS AND CEREMONY VENUES IN LANCASHIRE comms:6510 www.lancashire.gov.uk THE PERFECT SETTING... From historic buildings, “stone-built villages, coastal contrasts, rural retreats to beautiful scenery and riverside settings, “ Lancashire has everything to create the perfect setting for your wedding. 2 CONTENTS Your journey begins page 4 Over 75% of all compliments Marriage page 5 received by Lancashire Registration Service are for wedding Civil Partnerships thanks. page 6 Religious marriages page 7 An example of the wedding ceremony page 8 Ceremony planning checklist page 9 Flower power in Lancashire page 10 Ceremony rooms in Lancashire page 12 Family Welcoming page 14 Renewal of vows page 14 Lancashire’s approved premises for marriages Central page 15 East page 16 North page 17 Notes page 18 3 The words we had chosen were delivered with real sincerity, which made our ceremony really special. your Amy & Andy Journey Begins... Welcome to Lancashire’s ‘Your Perfect Day’ brochure and congratulations on your forthcoming marriage. I hope this brochure will provide you with all the information you need over the next few months. Whether or not you live in Lancashire getting Whatever your arrangements, whatever your married or forming a Civil Partnership is a choice, we will do our very best to ensure that very special occasion and choosing your venue your day is everything you dream of. If you need is very important. From historic buildings, any further advice please do not hesitate to stone-built villages, coastal contrasts, rural contact any of our ceremonies officers. retreats to beautiful scenery and riverside settings, Lancashire has everything to create With all my good wishes for ‘Your Perfect Day’. the perfect setting for your ceremony. In Lancashire we have more than one hundred premier venues that have been approved for ceremonies. We also have nine registration Steve Lloyd ceremony rooms spread across Libraries, Culture and Registration the county. Services Manager 4 MARRIAGE The important bits you really have to do! be able to advise you about what you have First, book your ceremony with one of our to produce or you could visit Ceremonies Officers. You will be required www.lancashire.gov.uk/ to pay the full fee at the time you book your births-marriages-and-deaths/ ceremony. This includes a non-refundable ceremonies/ administration fee. There is also a where a full list of documents you will statutory fee to be paid when you give your need is available. legal notice to be married or form a civil Marriage in England and Wales is the partnership. You can book your ceremony union of two people who are: up to three years in advance. Please call • Free to legally marry ie not in a 0300 123 6705 to book a ceremony. A marriage or civil partnership already list of our current fees is available on our • 16 years of age or older (individuals website. www.lancashire.gov.uk/births- who are aged 16 and 17 will need marriages-and-deaths/ceremonies/ written consent from their parents or marriage-and-civil-partnership-fees/ legal guardians) Three months before the date of your If you wish to change your passport to your ceremony you should both give your new name before the event you can do legal notice of marriage at your local this up to three months before. Your new registration office. Giving your notice of passport will only be valid from the day marriage will ensure the legalities for your of your wedding please bear this in mind marriage are completed in good time for if you are travelling abroad before your your ceremony to proceed. wedding date. To change your passport you will need to provide the person conducting You will need to produce certain your ceremony with a PD2 form to documents at your local registration office complete. The PD2 form is available at any when you both give your legal notice of post office or online at marriage. Your local registration office will www.passport.gov.uk. 5 CIVIL PARTNERSHIPS A Civil Partnership is a legal commitment, The standard conversion which can be formed by two people, giving This is a one stage administrative process them the ability to obtain legal recognition where you will both attend an appointment for their relationship. Couples who form at a register office of your choice located a Civil Partnership will have a new legal in England and Wales to complete a status: Civil Partners. declaration with details about you/partner and your Civil Partnership. Couples who form a Civil Partnership will be treated equally in a wide range of legal A conversion followed by a ceremony matters with couples who enter into a There are two stages to this type of marriage. conversion. The first part is where you will both need to attend an appointment In order to form a Civil Partnership in the at a register office of your choice located UK, both partners must: in England and Wales to prepare your • Not be in a Civil Partnership or marriage declaration and for the Superintendent already Registrar to check details about your Civil • Be 16 years of age or older in England and Partnership and evidence of identity and Wales (individuals who are aged 16 and nationality. 17 will need written consent from their parents or legal guardians) The signing of the declaration can then be • Not be closely related followed by a ceremony at a venue where your marriage is registered, and a marriage Converting a Civil Partnership to marriage certificate can then be issued. The second There are two ways to convert a Civil part is the celebration at a venue where you Partnership into a marriage will sign the declaration in front of family • a one stage administrative process called and friends. a ‘standard conversion’ • a two stage process where the conversion You can book your ceremony up to three is followed by a ceremony years in advance please call 0300 123 6705 to book an appointment. 6 RELIGIOUS MARRIAGES... Church of England or Provided that you are both EEA nationals, Church in Wales the Vicar will arrange for the banns to If you wish to be married in the Church of be called and the common licence to be England or Church in Wales you should issued. Unless the Vicar specifically asks first speak to the Vicar of the church in you to contact the registration service we which you wish to marry. would not expect to be involved in these wedding arrangements. You can usually qualify to marry in a Church of England church if you can Other Denominations show that one of the persons intending to Some religious buildings and churches marry: require the attendance of a registrar at • was baptised or prepared for the ceremony, please ask the person confirmation in that parish responsible. • had his or her usual place of residence in that parish for a period of not less You will be required to pay the full fee at than six months the time you book your ceremony. This • regularly attended public worship in includes a non-returnable administration that parish for a period of not less than fee. There is also a statutory fee to be six months paid when you give your legal notice to • a parent during the lifetime of the be married or form a Civil Partnership. A person wishing to marry has had his list of our current fees is available on our or her usual place of residence in that website www.lancashire.gov.uk. parish for a period of not less than six months If this is the case, please contact our • a parent or grandparent has been Ceremonies Officers on 0300 123 6705 as married in that parish. soon as possible up to three years before the date of your ceremony. 7 AN EXAMPLE OF A CEREMONY THE CEREMONY Pre-arrival Music Guests Assemble Saying ‘I do’ in front of friends and family can be a nerve-racking event ◆ but our Registrars will be on hand to Entrance Music Processional help you every step of the way. They ◆ will guide you through everything you need to do or say, so there is no need Welcome and Introduction by Celebrant to worry about forgetting your lines or First Reading Option doing things in the wrong order! ◆ Declaratory & Contracting Vows* The Registrar will see both partners privately to check that the details to be (to be selected from options in our ceremony entered into the register are correct. booklet) * these words must be included in your This is also an opportunity for you to ask ceremony by law any last minute questions. Once these checks have been made we can proceed ◆ with the ceremony. Optional Promises The couple will be asked in turn to (to be selected from options in our ceremony repeat a number of vows and promises booklet or your own vows submitted) you will have chosen in advance from ◆ our ceremony booklet. The Celebrant will speak quite slowly and reassure you Second Reading Option both throughout the ceremony. After ◆ you have made your vows you and your witnesses will sign the legal marriage Optional Exchange of Rings schedule. Any certificates you have ordered will be sent to you a few days (to be selected from options in our ceremony after your ceremony. booklet or your own words) ◆ Third Reading Option ◆ Signing the Schedule ◆ Music ◆ Photographs ◆ Presentation of the Commemorative Certificate and Conclusion ◆ Exit of newlyweds ◆ Exit Music 8 CEREMONY PLANNING Checklist PLANNING AHEAD FOR ‘YOUR PERFECT DAY’ Contact the approved premises or church to provisionally book your ceremony ◆ ‘You can book your Ceremony in Lancashire up to three years ahead Full payment is due at the time of booking, all fees can be found on our website at www.lancashire.gov.uk ◆ It is advisable to consider taking out wedding insurance cover ◆ Ensure you have both given a formal Notice of Marriage to your local Registration Office at least three months before ◆ Choose your ceremony vows, promises, readings and music from your ceremony booklet supplied by your Ceremonies Officer 3 MONTHS BEFORE..