Planning your ceremony at Liverpool Register Office

If you plan to have your ceremony at Liverpool Register Office, you can opt for a statutory ceremony or enhanced ceremony.

Statutory ceremonies

A statutory ceremony is a simple legal ceremony and includes:

• Entrance and exit for wedding party and guests via the visitor entrance to St George’s Hall
• Legal wedding vows
• Exchange of rings
• 4 guests

Statutory ceremonies are available Monday to Thursday before 11am only. 

Arriving for your statutory ceremony

You and your guests should arrive for your statutory ceremony at least 20 minutes earlier than your booked ceremony time. You should enter St George’s Hall via the visitor entrance at the top of St John’s Lane.

Following your simple legal ceremony there will be a short time at the end for photographs in the room. You will then be invited to take photographs on the steps of St George’s Hall – alternatively you may wish to use the colourful backdrop of St John’s Gardens.

Enhanced ceremonies

An enhanced ceremony in the Grand Jury or Sefton Room includes any of the following:

• Red carpet entrance and exit for wedding party and guests via the south Plateau of St George’s Hall
• Services of the Register Office ushers to ensure your guests are guided to the ceremony room
• Separate waiting area to ensure the couple do not see each other prior to the ceremony (optional)
• Entrance procession into the ceremony room (optional)
• Legal wedding vows
• Exchange of rings
• Ring bearers (optional)
• Up to 70 guests in the wood panelled Grand Jury Room, 50 guests in the Sefton Room, overlooking St John’s Gardens
• Your choice of music (optional).
• Readings (optional)
• Children’s promises (optional)
• Grand exit procession of the happy couple (optional)
• Pre bookable parking of up to 2 cars on St George’s Plateau (subject to additional fee and availability, booked via St George’s Hall)

Enhanced ceremonies are available Monday to Thursday after 11am, and Friday and Saturday.

Arriving for your enhanced ceremony

You and your guests should arrive at least 20 minutes earlier than your booked ceremony time. If you and your partner don’t wish to see each other before the ceremony, we advise you stagger your arrival times slightly. You should enter St George’s Hall via the south steps directly onto the Power and Glory landing (2nd floor, accessible via stairs or lift). Alternatively, you may use the visitor entrance at the top of St John’s Lane. Guests should be directed to the Power and Glory landing. Register office ceremony ushers will invite your guests into the Grand Jury or Sefton Room just before your ceremony is due to start.

All options above for enhanced ceremonies are available for both the Grand Jury and Sefton rooms. When making your final payment you can tell us which enhancements you would like to include. The order of ceremony will be:

• Entrance into the ceremony room. Music of your choice.
• Welcomes and introductions by the Superintendent Registrar.
• The legal vows, repeated after the Superintendent Registrar.
• Exchange of rings
• Inviting any readers to step forward.
• Promises to children.
• Declaring you as legally married/civil partnered at the end of the ceremony.
• Inviting you and your witnesses to sign the marriage register or civil partnership schedule with music of your choice.
• Grand exit with music of your choice.
• Photographs.

Following your ceremony you are invited to take photographs on the steps of St George’s Hall, or the colourful backdrop of St John’s Gardens.

All ceremonies

The registrar will need to see you both before the ceremony starts. You can do this together, or separately if you prefer.

The registrar will make sure that all your details are recorded accurately and confirm that your ceremony choices and witnesses have not changed, to be sure the ceremony is perfectly tailored for you.

It’s important that you and your guests are on time as the registrar may have other weddings to attend on the same day.

If you are unable to attend your ceremony for any reason please call the superintendent registrar as soon as possible and confirm any cancellations in writing.

Signing the marriage/civil partnership schedule

Marriages are no longer recorded in a marriage register at the end of a ceremony and legal certificates are not presented on the day. See Registration and certificates for more information.

Witnesses

You must bring two witnesses with you for your ceremony. They should be over the age of 16 and able to understand English. They will be asked to sign at the end of the ceremony to confirm they have witnessed the marriage or civil partnership being formed.

Register Office staff are unable to act as witnesses for you.

Interpreters

If either of the couple do not speak and understand English you should bring someone to translate when you give notice and to your ceremony. This can be a family member or friend. The couple are not allowed to translate for each other.

If an interpreter is present at your ceremony they will need to sign as a witness.