Photo credit: Joasis Photography

As we are fast approaching your special day, we would like to take some details about your ceremony plans and choices. Please note that you need to complete this form at least a month before your ceremony.

All ceremony areas in the Town Hall can be accessed by ramps or lifts for step free access. If you or any of your guests have a disability, you will need to click here to complete a Personal Emergency Evacuation Form form before the ceremony.

Please click here to see a seating plan for the Canonbury Suite.

It may be possible for you to pay an additional fee to extend your ceremony on a Friday or Saturday to include full personalisation, depending on the ceremonies booked after yours. If you are interested in this option, please email registrars@islington.gov.uk before completing this form to enquire.

You can see our ‘Your Questions’ page by clicking here which may answer any questions you have.

Please click on the links below to see the ceremony scripts:

The registrars will use a similar script to this, although some may change the wording slightly.

 

The form below will go through the personalisation options available for your ceremony:

PLEASE NOTE:  Ensure you have made final decisions on your choices before completing this form, as we are not able to accept updates to your choices after submission.

Pre-Ceremony Organiser - Canonbury Suite (Saturday)

  • Your details

  • :

  • Who will be the two witnesses?

    The Canonbury Suite risk assessment states that it can accommodate a maximum of 2 guests, who will be your witnesses.

    The witnesses must be adults who speak good English, but they can be friends or members of your family. If you require a translator, they must be one of the two witnesses, not an additional person.

  • Your choices

    Limited personalisation is available in the Canonbury Suite on Saturdays, such as adding a reading or personal vows, playing of pre-recorded music, a partner entrance and the option to exchange rings.

    It may be possible for you to pay an additional fee to extend your ceremony on a Friday or Saturday to include full personalisation, depending on the ceremonies booked after yours. If you are interested in this option, please email registrars@islington.gov.uk before completing this form to enquire.

    If you wish to ‘make an entrance’ please note that you both need to be seen together for interview just before your marriage/civil partnership. After the interview you will be accompanied to the room together ready for your entrance. The size of the door of the Canonbury Suite does not allow for two people walking side-by-side, and the distance to the couple's chairs is very short, so we don't recommend you walk in together, or have someone 'walk you down the aisle' although you are able to do this if you wish.

  • Please ignore this question if you have chosen a marriage; to be legally married you will need to have a ceremony.

  • Reading or personal vows

    You can choose to include either:

    • a reading, which will be read by one of your guests
      • OR
    • personal vows in addition to the standard vows

    Please note:

    • Even if your reading or personal vows are a secret or surprise, we still need you to submit them on this form, rather than by any other method
    • The reading or personal vows must not be from religious texts, or contain religious messages. The words ‘to have and to hold, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish, and to obey, till death us do part’ are part of the Church of England marriage vows, and so you are not able to use them in a civil ceremony
    • You will need to read personal vows to each other, rather than repeating them after the registrar, so please bring a paper copy to your ceremony
    • We ask for the reading or personal vows in advance to ensure they are appropriate for a civil ceremony, so please enter the full text on this form, or the reading or personal vows will not be able to be included. Once your choice has been submitted, our staff will review your reading or personal vows and contact you if they are unsuitable
    • Your reading or personal vows need to be kept to the character limit to ensure ceremonies do not over run

    If you do not wish to include a reading or personal vows in your marriage/civil partnership, please leave this section blank

  • Music

    There are three moments where you can choose for pre-recorded music to be played at your ceremony. Please note that religious music cannot be used at a civil ceremony, which must be free of all religious connotations. Once your choices have been submitted, our staff will review your music tracks and contact you if they are unsuitable for a civil ceremony.

    If you do not wish to include music in your marriage/civil partnership, please leave this section blank.

  • Approximately 1 minute of music is ideal.
  • Approximately 5 minutes of music is ideal.
  • Approximately 2 minutes of music is ideal.
  • They will be shown how to connect a phone or tablet to our music system.

  • How would you like to be declared at the end of the ceremony?

    Would you prefer the registrar to announce you to your guests as, for example 'Mr and Mr Smith' or 'John and Jane'?

  • Parents' details

    Up to four parents' details can be added to all marriage/civil partnership certificates unless you would prefer not to include these details. Please leave this section blank if this is the case.

    You can include biological, adoptive or step-parents.

    Partner 1's parents

  • Partner 2’s parents

  • Please remember

    Covid-19 is still present in the population, and there is still a need for caution. The safety of our staff, our customers, and our community is our highest priority.

    Please postpone the marriage/civil partnership if you have any of the symptoms of coronavirus or are testing positive.

    We recommend you and your guests take lateral flow tests before attending your ceremony.

    We are asking all couples and guests to continue to take sensible precautions to help our service remain open to register births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships. We are sure you can appreciate that we are privileged enough to attend lots of special days, and we would be devastated to have to cancel ceremonies if our staff become unwell after coming into contact with ceremony parties.

  • Couples' confirmations

    We confirm:

    • We will not invite more than 2 guests and one photographer. We understand this is the maximum number of people allowed under the fire and health and safety risk assessment for this room. We understand there will be no exceptions to this rule for babies, children, extra photographers, translators or extra guests to enter the building under any circumstances
    • We will arrive 15 minutes before our marriage/civil partnership start time. We understand that consideration needs to be given to the cleaning of ceremony rooms between events, and if we arrive more than 10 minutes late, our ceremony will not take place and we will have to rebook and may incur rescheduling fees
    • We have chosen music and/or a reading/personal vows that are not religious in nature, such as hymns or readings from the Bible
    • We have listed the reading/personal vows and/or music we want to include (and have not written 'TBC' or similar)
    • We understand that we will need to be interviewed together, in the same room, 15 minutes before the ceremony
    • We understand that we cannot make changes to the details on this form after submission for any reason other than sickness
    • We are submitting this form at least one month before our ceremony
    • We will comply with any other changes or procedures as required by registration staff, or government regulations to ensure safety

    Please tick these boxes to confirm you have read these points and you agree to them:

  • By entering your email address below you consent to Say I Do Islington storing your data given in this form in order to process your request and for us to contact you as required via email. Say I Do Islington will continue to hold and process your data in line with our privacy policy available here.