If you have a question which is not on this list, please email registrars@islington.gov.uk and we will try our best to answer it.
Photo credit: www.sammytaylorweddingphotography.com
Please find below our most frequently asked questions about choosing your venue and ceremony
What types of ceremonies do you offer?
We offer a range of legal and non-legal ceremonies, and you can find out more about our ceremonies by visiting this page.
What is a civil ceremony?
‘Civil ceremony’ is a term we use to make it clear that the ceremony has no religious content. The term covers both marriages and civil partnerships.
What is the difference between a marriage and a civil partnership?
A marriage in England and Wales can be between same-sex or opposite-sex couples. Marriages can be civil or religious (although most religions don’t offer same-sex marriages). At the Town Hall and our licenced venues, we perform only civil marriages which means no religious content can be incorporated. As marriage is a verbal contract, therefore you must say prescribed words to be legally married. After a marriage ceremony you will be declared to be husband and wife, husband and husband, or wife and wife. Your legal status will be ‘married’.
A civil partnership in England and Wales can also be between same-sex or opposite-sex couples. Again, no religious content can be included at ceremonies conducted by registrars. Civil partnership is a written contract, which means you do not have to make legal vows to each other, you can just sign the paperwork with your witnesses if you prefer, although we always offer our couples the choice of a ceremony or a simple signing. After a civil partnership ceremony, you will be declared to be civil partners in law. Your legal status will be ‘civil partner’.
A civil partnership between same-sex couples can be converted into a marriage at a later date if the couple choose to do so. At this time opposite-sex couples are not able to convert their marriage into a civil partnership but if the law changes, we will update this page.
Please note that during a marriage ceremony, you will need to use the wording ‘husband’ or ‘wife’ depending on your legally recorded binary gender during the legal vows. Unfortunately, we are not able to use alternative wording for people who are non-binary or don’t identify as the gender recorded on their passport, as this is part of marriage law. If the law changes in this regard, we will update this page. Civil partnership ceremonies do not include gendered language such as ‘husband’ and ‘wife’, only ‘partner’.
The legal preliminaries to marriage and civil partnership (giving notice) are the same, as are the fees for each ceremony.
Couples are advised to complete further research before booking a ceremony, particularly if either party is a national of another country or you are planning to live abroad, as there are differences in how a marriage and a civil partnership are recognised in other countries.
If you would like more information on the differences between a marriage and a civil partnership, please visit gov.uk for the government’s advice.
Do we have to have the ceremony in our local council area?
No! You can choose any licenced building in England or Wales. A licenced venue can be any non-religious building that has applied for and been granted a licence to hold civil ceremonies on its premises, such as a hotel or restaurant.
The only exception to this is the statutory room, which is only available to Islington and City of London (the square mile) residents.
Where can I find details about the ceremony rooms at Islington Town Hall?
Where can I find details about other venues licenced for civil ceremonies?
Do we need to bring our own witnesses?
Yes, you do.
It is a legal requirement and your responsibility to bring two adult witnesses that speak good English to your ceremony.
Our team are not able to act as witnesses.
How do I make a booking for a ceremony?
Please click on the booking buttons at the top of the page. We are currently taking bookings up to the end of December 2024.
What is the deposit to book a ceremony?
At the time of booking, you will be asked to pay a deposit (usually £100), or the full ceremony fee if you are booking a date less than three months away.
When does the full payment for my ceremony need to be made?
We ask you to pay the remainder of the fee three months before the ceremony at the latest, and we will send you an email reminder to do this.
What is included in the fee we pay to Islington and London City Registration Service?
If you are having your ceremony at Islington Town Hall, the cost includes the use of the room, the registrars’ attendance to conduct the ceremony and complete the legal paperwork, and one marriage or civil partnership certificate.
If you are having your ceremony at a licenced ceremony venue, the cost includes the registrars’ attendance to conduct the ceremony and complete the legal paperwork, and one marriage or civil partnership certificate. You will need to book the ceremony venue directly with their staff.
Can I personalise my ceremony with readings and music?
We offer a range of options for ceremonies, from very simple ceremonies with little personalisation, to full ceremony personalisation, to suit all couples.
Full personalisation is offered as standard in the following Town Hall rooms:
Please visit the page for the following Town Hall rooms which have limited personalisation options to find out full details:
Ceremonies at licenced venues are fully personalisable as standard.
When will I be able to book a ceremony for 2025?
We aim to be able to open up our diary for 2025 bookings by the end of 2023.
If you would like to be updated when the diary opens, please email registrars@islington.gov.uk and we will email you as soon 2025 bookings are live!
Alternatively, please check back to this page in December 2023 for updates, or follow us on Instagram, where we announce the diary opening each year.