Oxfordshire, the place to marry Oxfordshire 2019 | Page 7

Registration Office Ceremonies
There are several ceremony rooms across the
county, in Abingdon, Banbury, Bicester, Didcot,
Henley-on-Thames, Oxford, Wheatley (part
time) and Witney. They all vary in style, size and
appearance, from the more traditional rooms,
such as Oxford’s wood-panelled Dexter Room and
Banbury’s Bodicote House to the purpose-built
modern Broadway Room in Didcot. You can see
a list of these, with photos, on pages 34 and 35.
Please note, apart from Oxford, not all offices are
open every weekend.
The Register Office for Oxfordshire is situated in
the heart of Oxford city centre and its helpdesk
is pleased to answer questions on arranging a
ceremony in any of the rooms in the county.
Call 0345 241 2489 for further information on the
rooms, their capacity for guests and to discuss any
special requirements you or your guests may have,
such as provision for people with disabilities.
Civil Partnership
A civil partnership schedule is signed by both
of the partners, two witnesses and a Registrar.
A civil partnership is recognised as a legal contract
between two partners and can be conducted at
any register office or approved premises.
Civil Partnership Conversion
You can convert your existing civil partnership
into a marriage at a register office or an approved
venue. You can choose to have a purely
administrative process or to have a ceremony
following the legal registration of your marriage.
For the conversion you will require:
• Original civil partnership certificate
• Proof of identity, e.g. a passport
• Proof of address, e.g. utility bill or bank statement
Approved Venues
Instead of having your ceremony in a Registration
Office, you could opt to hold it in one of the many
diverse approved venues throughout Oxfordshire,
from an old Cotswold hotel or a famous city centre
museum to an Oxford College. The only difficulty
will be making your decision!
www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/registration
Registrars are happy to attend ceremonies at
approved venues on any day, including Sundays
and Bank Holidays (excluding Christmas Day).
Time restrictions on ceremonies have been lifted,
so you can now have your ceremony at any time
subject to staff availability. Provisional bookings
can be taken in advance of your legal Notices of
Marriage or Civil Partnership.
Notice of Marriage
or Civil Partnership
After booking your wedding or civil partnership at
a Registration Office or an approved venue, both
of you will need to give your Notices of Marriage or
Civil Partnership. Details of how to do this are on
pages 4 to 6.
Marriages and Civil Partnerships
in Churches
A religious ceremony may take place in any
religious building which has been registered
for worship and marriages and civil partnerships.
Your first contact should be with the church
minister where you would like to hold your
ceremony and they will advise you further.
Following their agreement to conduct
your ceremony, you may need to contact the
Register Office where you live (see page 4 -
‘Giving Notice of Marriage or Civil Partnership’).
The telephone number for the Oxfordshire
Register Office is 0345 241 2489.
You may find the following links useful:
www.achurchnearyou.com
www.yourchurchwedding.org
Marriage Abroad
Tying the knot abroad is becoming an increasingly
popular option. If you are thinking of doing this,
please contact the appropriate country’s embassy
in England for advice on the formalities and
documentation required.
Insurance
If, for whatever reason, you need to change
your plans, it could be extremely expensive, so we
advise you consider wedding insurance.
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