Step 5: Personalise your ceremony

It is important that your big day is one you will remember and treasure and filled with the things that are important to you. Which is why we encourage you to include your own personal additions. Personal additions can include readings, music, a declaration of support from family or friends and your own personal vows. 

We are pretty flexible when it comes to personal additions, however there are some legal restrictions you need to be aware of.

Civil ceremonies are non-religious ceremonies which include both marriages and civil partnerships. The law does not allow religious content to be included in our ceremonies. This means the addition of prayers, hymns, a passage or verse from a sacred text, a ritual or any other religious poems, songs and music cannot be included in a civil ceremony. If you wish to include something religious, you may consider doing this once the ceremony has ended (and your Registrars have left) or at some point during your reception.

Readings, Poems and Songs

A meaningful literary extract or poem read by a friend or family member is a great way to make your ceremony special. We have a list of suggested readings (PDF) to give you some inspiration, or you can choose your own. You could even make your ceremony extra special and ask someone close to you to write something themselves.

Music

Your music choices play an important part in tailoring your ceremony to suit your personality. As long as your content is not religious or explicit, you can choose whatever you would like! Please ask your venue what facilities they have to play your music. Also, whether you will need to nominate one of your guests to play your music for you.

Personal Vows and Promises

If you wish to write your own vows and read/ say them to each other, you are welcome to do so, and this can be a very special moment in your ceremony. We can present them to you to read at the right moment. If you don’t wish to share them with each other before, then feel free to send them to us separately in advance.

Photography and Social Media

We know how important it is to capture the essence of your celebration by using a photographer and/or a videographer. We will always try our best to ensure that they get the best shots. If you wish us to let your guests know you prefer them not to take pictures or post on social media, just let us know and we will announce this at the start of the ceremony.

Pets

Well behaved pets can make a fantastic addition, and many people want to share their day with their favourite furry or feathered friend. Whether they are escorting you down the aisle, flying in with the rings or are just there to support you, we are happy to include them on your special day. You will need to check with your venue to see if they are able to accommodate this. Unfortunately, we can only allow guide dogs and service animals in our Register Office and Wokingham Ceremony Room.

Pre-Ceremony Appointments

This half-hour appointment is held online via Teams, usually with one of our Registrars and will normally take place around 3 weeks before the ceremony. We will go into details such as what will happen when, the roles of each of the participants, and is effectively a full verbal ‘walk through’ of the ceremony. It is also your perfect opportunity to ask us any questions you may have.

The cost for this service is £32. We recommend that you book at least a month in advance of your ceremony. We can book your appointment once we have received your completed details form.

How to book

To book please call our team on 0118 974 6000 (option 3, option 3.)