Surrey Ceremonies

SURREY WEDDINGS & CEREMONIES

Can we write our own vows? Yes, your own vows will make the ceremony even more special and personal. After you say the legal words at your ceremony you can choose to add personal vows or promises. Just a gentle reminder that no religious content or connotations can be included during a legal civil ceremony. Can a friend/family member write a reading for our ceremony? Certainly, let us know what you have in mind and we would be happy to discuss this with you. If it’s being written as a surprise for you, it can be sent to us separately. Can members of our family be witnesses at our marriage/civil partnership? Yes. Witnesses must be able to speak and understand English. You may wish your child or children to witness your marriage or civil partnership. Whilst there is no age restriction, they must be old enough to understand what has taken place and be able to testify to what they have seen and heard should this be necessary. Can people take photos or videos of the ceremony? Yes you may and if you have any preference around this please speak to the registrar on the day. You may wish to have a keepsake of your special day in the form of a video recording. There will be time for guests to take some of their own photographs at the end of a ceremony, should you wish this to happen

How do I sign the legal documents? You will be asked to sign the legal documents with your ‘usual signature’, as you would sign any legal document. What if we need to cancel our ceremony – will we get any money back? We hope you won’t need to cancel but if you do, you can find all the details about cancelling in our cancellation policy on our website www.surreycc.gov.uk/ceremonies. Can we have a ceremony outside? Yes. Many of our venues have are licensed for outdoor ceremonies. Please contact us for further information on which venues have this option. Don’t forget to have a back-up plan in case of bad weather. Can we have a ceremony at our home? Currently, the law requires that a legal marriage or civil partnership must be held at a licensed venue and so this prevents the option to have a legal ceremony in your house. We are having a blessing in a church/ overseas after the legal ceremony. Can we simplify the civil ceremony? Yes certainly, please contact our ceremonies team for advice. Can I change my name on my passport before my ceremony? Yes, you can apply to change your name on your

passport up to three months prior to your ceremony date by applying to HM Passport Office and completing a PD2 form to accompany your application. Please ensure that the name on any of your flight/travel bookings and the name on your passport is the same if you are going overseas after your ceremony – if they are different, you may be refused boarding onto aircraft or entry into another country. Further information is available our website – www.surreycc.gov.uk/ registration. Can we write our own ceremony? We offer a fantastic choice of three Surrey ceremony scripts to choose from. You can see the ceremony scripts on our website www.surreycc.gov.uk/ ceremonies. If you would like to write personal vows to exchange, we would be more than happy to include them, provided they do not contain any religious content. Can our guests sing a song as part of the ceremony? Yes, you can include a song instead of a reading. Just a gentle reminder about no religious content or connotation during a legal ceremony. Do I need to hire a celebrant for my ceremony? When booking a Surrey ceremony, our experienced ceremony celebrants are included in your booking. There is no requirement for you to book any third party celebrant services. If you are considering booking an independent celebrant, we recommend you contact us to discuss this further. Please email: registration. ceremonies@surreycc.gov.uk

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