Celebrate in Northamptonshire Northants 2018 | Page 12

On the Day...
Marriage Arrival
A Northamptonshire County Council Ceremony Officer will
conduct the pre-ceremony interview and ceremony and will be
happy to answer any last minute questions that you may have. You will be greeted by the
Ceremony Officer for a brief
meeting. This meeting is to
ensure that all the information
on the certificates for marriage
are correct. You will also be asked
to confirm the information given
on your Notices, including your
natural, step or adopted fathers’
full names and occupations.
CEREMONY CONTENT
MARRIAGE CEREMONY WORDS
In a marriage ceremony you say the following…
The choice of words below are spoken aloud during the ceremony in
the presence of witnesses by both partners as a declaration that they are
free to marry.
(a) Traditional: “I do solemnly declare that I know not of any lawful
impediment why I [full name] may not be joined in matrimony to [full
name of partner]”
(b) Modern: “I declare that I know of no legal reason why I [full name] may
not be joined in marriage to [full name of partner]”
(c) Simplified: “(If the answer to my question is yes please reply I am). Are
you [full name] free lawfully to marry [full name of partner]?”.
These details will be recorded in
the marriage register and on your
marriage certificate(s) and any
commemorative certificates.
Don’t be late! It may have been
‘fashionable’ for the bride to be late
but don’t be - you and your guests
must be on time as the Ceremony
Officer will have other ceremonies
to attend on the same day.
Please consider this when advising
guests of their arrival time.
See your ceremony confirmation
letter correspondence for the
suggested arrival time.
The choice of words below are spoken aloud during the ceremony in
the presence of witnesses by both partners to signify they are entering
into a contract of marriage.
(a) Traditional: “I call upon these persons here present to witness that
I [full name] do take thee [full name of partner] to be my lawful wedded
husband/wife”
(b) Modern: “I [full name] take you [full name of partner] to be my
wedded husband/wife”
(c) Simplified: “I [full name] take thee [full name of partner] to be my
wedded husband/wife”.
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For details of guest and seating
capacity in our ceremony rooms,
please see pages 14-15. For
information on approved venue
seating, please contact the venue.