When should we arrive at the City of Leicester Register Office?
Both of you, together with all your guests, should arrive at the office at least 10 minutes before your marriage appointment. You should come into the building through the entrance on Town Hall Square. A lift access is available on Horsefair Street.
Do we have to pay any more money?
The fee of £33.50 that you have paid was for the entry of the notice of intention to marry in the notice book. On the wedding day, immediately prior to the ceremony, you will need to pay a fee of £43.50. This is for the ceremony and the issue of one marriage certificate. Further certificates can be ordered on the day, if required, which will cost £3.50 each.
Who can attend our wedding?
You will need to have two adults with you to be witnesses to your marriage. Both of them must be able to understand the marriage ceremony in English.
If you wish to have bridesmaids and/or pageboys we will seek to make them feel special.
All our marriage rooms are accessible for wheelchair users. Please contact this office for further advice if there will be more than two wheelchair users attending. Guide dogs are welcome to accompany their owner. Within the marriage rooms a loop system operates for those with hearing difficulties.
What if one of us does not understand English?
Usually you would ask someone to act as your interpreter. The interpreter can be a friend or relative who is able to read and speak both English and the language in which you communicate with each other. To assist your interpreter a copy of the marriage ceremony in both languages will be provided by us at the time of giving notice. Translations of the marriage ceremony are currently available in more than 25 different languages.
If there is no-one you can ask to be your interpreter then we may be able to find someone for you. You should tell us at the time of giving notice if you want us to arrange an interpreter for your wedding. Please note that if you notify us less than seven days prior to your intended wedding day this may involve re-arranging the date and time for your wedding until an interpreter is available.
What will happen on our wedding day once we have arrived at the City of Leicester Register Office?
One of the registration officers involved with your wedding will come to the waiting room to invite both of you into the marriage room. The registrar who will be registering your marriage will then receive the fee for the wedding from you before asking you a series of questions in order to check the details that will be entered into the marriage register.
The information required is similar to that given at the time of giving notice of intention to marry. In addition, the registrar will ask for the full name of your natural father, adoptive father if you have been legally adopted, or your step-father if he is or has been married to your mother and his present or last known occupation.
Having obtained from both of you the details to be written in to the register, the Superintendent Registrar will check with you whether or not you will be giving a ring (or rings) to each other during the ceremony. If it is your intention to exchange rings then you will be asked to place them on to the ring-cushion on the main table at the front of the marriage room. The Superintendent Registrar will discuss with you how the exchange of rings will actually happen.
Your guests will then be invited to join you in the marriage room. The people who are to be your witnesses will be asked to sit along side you.
Find out what happens during the Marriage Ceremony.
