The ceremony and venue
Ceremonies at the Register Office
Ceremonies at Bolton Town Hall are held in either the Register Office (for the couple and 2 witnesses) or the Queen Elizabeth II Room (for the couple and up to 48 guests) Telephone number 01204 331185
For a basic ceremony with just two witnesses and no guests, the Register Office can be booked on Tuesday mornings at 9.30 am and 10.10 am.
The Queen Elizabeth II room can be booked on Tuesday, Fridays and Saturdays.
A provisional booking can be made to secure a date and time in advance of the notice of marriage/civil partnership and is £52 (non-refundable).
Marriages at Licensed Venues
You can get married in any approved venue in England and Wales as long as it’s been licensed by the local authority.
The marriage can only take place at the venue you name on the notice of marriage. If you change the venue you will need to give, and pay for, a new notice of marriage.
If you want to marry in a licensed venue you’ll need to book a registrar to attend. Bookings can be made up in advance but we’d advise you to check that a registrar is available before confirming your venue booking.
To book a registrar please call the office.
On the day of your ceremony you will sign a Marriage Schedule: it’s a one-page document that’s needed to register your marriage.
Your Marriage Schedule will include the details of each person getting married: name and surname, date of birth, condition, address and occupation. You can record your mother, father, parents’ or step-parent's details on this document and in the marriage registration.
If your ceremony is not taking place at a Religious Building, the Superintendent Registrar will keep the schedule until the day of the ceremony.
If you are marrying in a religious building, you must arrange for the Marriage Schedule to be collected in advance and taken to the person who will perform the marriage at the religious building before your ceremony.
If you are marrying in the Church of England/Church in Wales you will need to contact the Church in the parish where you intend to marry.
Ceremonies in a place of Worship
Marriage ceremonies at Approved Religious Premises
If you are marrying in any religious building other than the Church of England or Church of Wales, you are still both required to give notice of marriage.
In some circumstances the Minister at a Church of England can’t read the banns so will refer couples to their relevant register office. If this is the case for you, please ring the office.
- Same sex couples can only marry in a religious ceremony where the religious organisation has 'opted in' to conduct such ceremonies, and the minister of religion agrees.
- The church or religious building must normally be situated in the district where you or your partner live, unless either of you usually go to worship in that building.
- You can also get married in another district if there is no building of your religion in the district where you or your partner lives.
- The marriage can only take place at the venue you name on your notice of marriage: if you change the venue you’ll have to give, and pay for, a new notice of marriage.
If the church or religious building you are getting married in does not have its own authorised person to register the marriage, you will need to arrange for a registrar to attend. This will cost £97, including the cost of a marriage certificate.
If you need a registrar to attend, you should check that one is available for your chosen date and time before you give your notices of marriage.
You will both need to complete legal preliminaries - either through the Church via the calling of Banns or by giving notice of marriage at a register office.
You won't sign a marriage register or be given a marriage certificate during the ceremony: you will sign a marriage document that includes the details needed to register your marriage. This Marriage Document will be issued by the Minister at the Church in which your marriage is taking place and will include the details of you both: name and surname, date of birth, condition, address and occupation. You can record your mother, father or parents’ details on the Marriage schedule and in the marriage registration. You can also now include step-parents. If you haven’t already given these details you can do so on the day of the ceremony.
The officiating minister will forward the completed and signed Marriage Document to the local register office within 21 days of your ceremony. The details will be entered onto the electronic marriage register within 7 days of it being received at the register office; only then will a marriage certificate be available.
Civil Partnership ceremonies at Approved Religious Premises
You can hold a civil partnership ceremony in a religious building but the venue must have applied for, and been given, approval to do so.
There are two types of ceremonies available:
The Ceremony
- Register Office ceremony - only the 2 witnesses can attend and it doesn’t include readings or music
- Queen Elizabeth II and Approved Premise ceremonies - this gives you the option to include music and readings
Ceremony times at licensed venues
For ceremonies at approved premises, ceremonies are at set times:
- Monday to Friday: 1 pm, 2.30 pm, 4 pm
- Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays : 11am, 1 pm, 2.30 pm and 4 pm
Your ceremony
Before the ceremony begins a Registrar will check that the details given at the time of notice are still correct, as this information will be recorded in the schedule and on your marriage or civil partnership certificate. You have the option of doing this together or separately.
The Superintendent registrar (marriages) or the Celebrant (civil partnerships) will begin by welcoming you and your guests before the marriage or partnership ceremony introduction.
If you have chosen the Standard option, the rest of the ceremony will take place with no readings or music.
If your ceremony is in the Queen Elizabeth II you can have music for your entrance and during the signing of the schedule; we have a speaker available for Bluetooth enabled devices. The music cannot be religious in nature.
At approved premises you will need to liaise with the management about the availability and facilities for music.
After the ceremony
Civil ceremonies: the registration officer will keep the signed Marriage Schedule and add the details onto the electronic register at the register office, at the earliest opportunity. The certificate will be posted on the following working day.
Religious ceremonies: the relevant person from the religious building will return the completed, signed Marriage Schedule to the register office in the district where your marriage took place within 21 days of your marriage. Once it’s received at the register office the details will be entered onto the electronic marriage register within 7 days; only then will a marriage certificate be available. You should then make an application on-line for your certificate.
Civil Partnership
A civil partnership is formed once the couple have signed the Civil Partnership Schedule in the presence of two witnesses and the Civil Partnership registrar.
The registration of a civil partnership has a simple format. If you prefer, you can opt to simply sign the schedule, without a ceremony, in the presence of your witnesses and a civil partnership registrar.
The civil partnership schedule will contain a form of words that you must both acknowledge when you sign it, and which you can say to each other as part of a civil partnership formation if you like.
Although a ceremony is not part of the legal requirement, you are able to still book one if preferred either at Bolton Town Hall or at an Approved Premise.
A civil partnership can only be formed at the venue you name on your notice of civil partnership. If you change the venue you’d have to give and pay for new notices of civil partnership.
If you want to hold your civil partnership in a licensed venue you will need to book a registrar. Please contact the office to discuss. Always check that a registrar is available before confirming your venue.
You can hold your ceremony in any approved venue in England and Wales: a wide range of approved venues are available in Bolton.
You can also hold a civil partnership ceremony in religious premises, as long as the premises have applied for, and been given, approval to hold civil partnership ceremonies.