The registration of a marriage is a very different thing to a wedding ceremony. When we talk about Celebrant-led weddings we talk about separating the ceremony from the legal aspect. But actually, they have always been two separate things.
The parts of a ceremony that we love and value, such as the 'I dos', the vows and the ring exchange, are symbolic of the commitment that the couple are making but not legally binding. The signing of paperwork that traditionally comes at the end of the ceremony is the legal aspect. So there is actually no reason why this part can't be done on a different day.
If you choose to have a celebrant-led wedding because you want it to be bespoke and personal then the legal aspect of registering your marriage separately is no different to registering the birth of a baby. The day you register your baby’s birth isn’t the baby’s birthday or christening day, it’s simply a paperwork day.
In Kent it costs £46 to register your marriage, plus £35 each to give notice. The £46 includes up to 4 guests so that’s your two witnesses and if you want to invite two more guests you can. Everyone else can wait for the main event! And the best thing of all is that with the formalities out of the way, your ceremony won’t be the ‘boring bit’ for your guests, it’ll be a smash hit!!
Below is a link to the Kent County Council Ceremony Fees document and we’ve highlighted the relevant parts for a basic marriage registration. We hope this is helpful but don’t forget that we’re only on the other end of the phone or email if you want to chat.
Natalie and Julie xx
Photography by https://www.sarahleggephotography.co.uk