A step by step guide to planning and booking your perfect day, whether it is a marriage or civil partnership.
1. Choose a marriage or civil partnership
Choosing if you would like a marriage or civil partnership will be your first consideration.
Marriage ceremony
A marriage ceremony means that you will need to say certain vows when you solemnize your marriage. You can have a civil marriage ceremony at a register office or licensed venue. A religious ceremony is held at a church or religious building.
Civil marriages are available for both opposite sex couples and same sex couples.
If you choose to have a marriage ceremony at:
- a licensed venue or register office, please go to step two and then the other steps below.
- a church or other religious building, you should first contact the minister or other person in charge.
Civil partnership
A civil partnership is formed when the couple sign a civil partnership document in the presence of the registrar and two witnesses. You can choose to have a civil partnership with a ceremony at either a licensed venue or a register office.
Civil partnerships are available for both opposite and same sex couples.
If you choose a civil partnership and you wish to:
- incorporate a ceremony with your civil partnership signing, please go to step two and then the other steps below.
- arrange a simple signing of your civil partnership document, please see our web page: Civil partnership without a ceremony.
Other ceremonies
For all other ceremonies, please see our webpage: Other types of ceremonies.
2. Choose your perfect venue
You are spoilt for choice when choosing to have a ceremony in Surrey. Choose from one of our three register offices: Guildford, Leatherhead or Weybridge, or over a hundred licensed venues such as: heritage properties, grand country houses, exclusive hotels, racecourses and barns, to name but a few.
3. Choose your ceremony option
Once you have chosen your venue, there's something to suit every couple and budget in our carefully chosen ceremony options.
4. Book your ceremony
You can now book your civil marriage or civil partnership ceremony online. This is the quickest and most efficient way to check availability and finalise your booking.
Book your civil partnership ceremony
This is a new service in BETA phase. Your feedback will help us to improve it, and can be emailed to our team: registration.ceremonies@surreycc.gov.uk
Once you have made your booking, you should receive payment confirmation through GOV.UK Pay. All bookings are considered provisional until they have been reviewed and approved by a Registrar from Surrey Registration Service. You should receive a booking confirmation email the next working day after your booking was made.
If you are unable to use the online service, please contact our Ceremonies team with 'Unable to book online' in the enquiry details section.
5. Book your notice of marriage or civil partnership appointment
Find out about the legal requirement for your ceremony and make an appointment for notice of marriage or civil partnership to complete the legal paperwork. You can give notice up to a year in advance of your ceremony, but this must be done at least 29 days prior to your ceremony or 71 days (if you are subject to immigration control).
6. Personalise your ceremony
Now's the time to get personal. This is your day and we want it to be as special and memorable as possible. Let us know your choice of vows, music and reading before your ceremony and things to be aware of on the day of your ceremony (e.g. when to arrive, filming, witnesses and use of confetti).
Please only submit your checklist four to six weeks prior to your ceremony date.
7. On your day
Here's a rundown of what you can expect on the day of your ceremony, for example when to arrive and preparations you may need to make.