Getting Married at a Registration Office, Hotel or Other Venue
This webpage is intended to provide helpful guidance about how to arrange your marriage
ceremony either at a Cotswolds Registration Office or in one of the many beautiful
buildings around the Cotswolds that are licensed for civil marriage ceremonies.
You can choose
a simple ceremony with just two witnesses or include bridesmaids, music and readings.
Registration offices across the Cotswolds are listed at the end of this webpage.
Where can I get married?
A civil marriage ceremony can be held in any of the ceremony rooms at any of the Cotswold
Registration Offices, or at a venue that has been approved for the purpose
by the relevant County Council. There are currently more than 200 venues, ranging from
hotels to historic houses.
Once you've decided where you want to get married, you'll need to agree a time and date
with both the venue and the Registration Office. The Registration Offices can accept bookings
up to twelve months in advance. For advice and information on availability, please contact
any of our offices.
There are some restrictions on exactly where a marriage ceremony can take place, even
at approved and licensed venues. The law states that a civil ceremony must be held inside
a permanent building, which means that you can't get married outdoors, in a marquee for
example. In addition, a civil ceremony cannot contain any elements of a religious nature,
or take place in a building with any religious connection.
When can I get married?
Bookings for civil marriage ceremonies can be made with any of the Registration Offices
in the Cotswolds up to twelve months in advance. But don't forget that you'll need to
confirm the date, time and place with both the Registration Office and with the venue.
You must also give formal notice of your intention to marry - further details are given
below. The minimum period between giving notice of your marriage and when a ceremony can
take place is 28 clear days, and once issued, the certificate for the marriage is
only valid for twelve months. It's therefore a good idea to give notice as soon as possible,
and to bear in mind that popular dates for weddings get booked up very quickly.
What is the ceremony like?
The ceremony used is the same whether the marriage is held in a ceremony room or at one
of the approved hotels or venues, as the wording used is fixed by law and cannot be altered.
You'll need to agree the contents of the ceremony well before the wedding day. The law
does not allow you to make significant changes to the ceremony.
On the day of the wedding you'll need to bring with you at least two other people who
are willing to act as legal witnesses and sign the marriage register.
How do I give notice?
Formal notice of your intention to marry must be given personally by both you and your
partner to a Registration Office.
What information will I have to provide?
When you visit the Registration Office to give formal notice of your marriage, you will
need to show proof of your identity, address, age and nationality, for which a passport
and birth certificate would be ideal. You should also take evidence of any change of name
and, if you have been married before, proof that your previous marriage has been legally
ended.
Usually you are required to have lived in the district for at least seven days before
giving notice. The Registration Office will advise you on what documents to bring when
you make your booking for your ceremony.
Notice of marriage must be given in person, and cannot be given on your behalf by someone
else.
What will it cost?
For a marriage ceremony at one of the three Cotswold Gloucestershire Registration Offices see www.gloucestershireregistrationservice.co.uk/your-ceremony/ceremony-fees/.
Church weddings
The information on this webpage applies only to civil marriage ceremonies at Registration
Offices or approved venues.
Registration Offices in Gloucestershire Cotswolds
Cheltenham Registration Office
St. George's Rd,
Cheltenham,
Gloucestershire,
GL50 3EW
Open: 9.00am – 5.00pm Monday to Friday
(By
appointment only)
cheltenham.ro@gloucestershire.gov.uk
Tel: 01452 425060
The Cheltenham Office is conveniently located close to the main shopping centre of this famous and beautiful spa town in the midst of the Cotswolds.
gloucestershireregistrationservice.co.uk/your-ceremony/weddings-civil-partnerships/
Cheltenham |
Gloucester Registration Office
Shire Hall, Westgate Street, Gloucester,
GL1 2TG
Open: 9.00am – 5.00pm Monday to Friday
(By appointment only)
cheltenham.ro@gloucestershire.gov.uk
Tel: 01452 425060
The Gloucester Office and Ceremony Room are conveniently located in the city centre with pay and display car parking in the immediate vicinity.
gloucestershireregistrationservice.co.uk/your-ceremony/weddings-civil-partnerships/
Cheltenham
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Stroud Registration Office
The Old Victorian School,
Parliament Street,
Stroud,
Gloucestershire,
GL5 1DY
Open: Monday - Friday 9.00 - 12.30, 1.30 - 5.00pm
(By appointment only)
ceremonies@gloucestershire.gov.uk
Tel: Tel: 01452 425060
The Stroud Office is a charming former Victorian school built of Cotswold stone that stands at the top of the town with views across the valleys. It was sensitively converted into the Register Office in 1995.
https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/births-marriages-deaths-and-civil-partnerships/registration-offices-contact-details-opening-times/stroud/ |
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