FAQ
What if I make a mistake
with my words in the
ceremony or start to laugh
or cry?
What about my signature when I sign the register,
do I use my new one?
The answer is a big fat NO. Use your normal signature in the name in which
you are marrying or having a civil partnership, there is plenty of time after your
ceremony to change your signature for your other business.
Can we have a ceremony in our back garden?
The law requires that a legal marriage or civil partnership has to take place in a
building licensed by the local authority for that purpose. In Shropshire our licenses
last for 3 years and temporary licenses are not issued. There is nothing to stop you
from having your legal ceremony and then having a celebratory ceremony like a
renewal of vows at a venue which is not licensed for marriage or civil partnership.
Can I change my name on my passport before the
ceremony?
Please do not worry about any of these
scenarios. Registrars are well practised,
they are not there to make you feel
embarrassed or look foolish, in the event
that you forget your words, they will remind
you, as for laughing or crying, your guests
and sometimes your Registrar will probably
join in!! Yes, you can apply to change your name on your passport up to 3 months prior to
the date of your ceremony. You will need a form PD2 which you can get from your
post office or which you can download from www.gov.uk. Once you have this form
please follow the instructions. You will need to submit it to the Superintendent
Registrar who will be conducting the ceremony for completion. Please remember
that you will need to be certain that your passport has the name on it in which your
holiday arrangements have been made, if they are different you may be refused the
right to board an aircraft or refused entry into another country.
Can we write
our own vows? Can we write our own ceremony?
There are certain words which have to
be spoken during your ceremony, but we
have no problem with you writing your
own additional words, you will however
have to submit them for approval by the
Superintendent Registrar. Don’t forget that
you can’t have words which are normally
used in religious ceremonies or have
religious connotations.
Yes, providing all of the prescribed elements are included, for help with this please
contact the Superintendent Registrar.
Can our guests sing a song as part of the ceremony?
Yes, no problem as long as it is not a Hymn and it has been approved by the
Superintendent Registrar beforehand as being suitable.
19
www.georginabalmerphotography.co.uk