The information on this page explains what will happen on the day of your marriage or civil partnership ceremony. Our registrars will also run through this with you in advance, usually when you give notice.
If you would like to discuss your ceremony with us before the big day, please contact us:
- Telephone: 01733 864646 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
- Email: peterboroughregisteroffice@peterborough.gov.uk
Pre-ceremony interview
You will both meet with the registrars immediately before your ceremony for a preliminary interview.
For Lawns ceremonies at the Register Office, and for ceremonies at other licensed venues, you can choose to be seen together or separately.
For Thorpe ceremonies and Couple and Two Witnesses ceremonies, you will always be interviewed together.
During the interview, the registrars will:
- Check all the details that are to be recorded on the schedule and your certificate
- Talk you through the ceremony
- Answer any last-minute questions you may have
When you are checking your personal details, please make sure that you do this carefully. It can be expensive and time-consuming If you need to correct any information after the ceremony has been completed.
Your ceremony will start shortly after the interview.
If you are running late on the day
If you are late for your ceremony, we may have to postpone your ceremony to later that day, or to another day entirely. We may have other ceremonies booked immediately after yours.
Witnesses
The law requires the presence of two witnesses during your ceremony.
Witnesses must be:
- Aged 18 years or over
- Able to speak and understand English
- Able to understand the proceedings
- Present in the ceremony room for the entirety of the ceremony
You can use relatives, friends, or strangers off the street! Ideally, we need to know who your witnesses are in advance of the ceremony.
Register Office staff cannot act as witnesses for you or provide them.
Without two suitable witnesses, we cannot proceed with your ceremony.
Information for guests attending ceremonies at Peterborough Register Office
Please make sure all your guests know where and when to arrive on the day of your ceremony.
We recommend guests arrive 15 minutes before the ceremony start time and wait in our waiting area.
Parking
Please note that we have limited parking available at Peterborough Register Office. The car park is used by other visitors to the building and spaces cannot be guaranteed, particularly on weekdays. We do not charge for parking.
At busy times, you may need to consider parking elsewhere.
Visit our car park locations page for more information about parking in the city.
Disabled facilities and accessibility
If any of your guests have a disability, mobility issue or access requirements, please visit our Register Office page for information on our facilities.
Confetti
We do not permit the throwing of confetti inside the Register Office or on the path approaching the front door. However, you can use confetti in the garden adjoining our ceremony room. Confetti must be biodegradable.