new to planning (wave) can you recommend your registry offices pls?

Hello my lovelies

Im shiney and new to this part of Hitched, and was just wondering if you would mind recommending me registry offices that have really caught your eye. We are really quite premature in all this planning malarkey, as we want to find out what we do/dont want for our day before actually setting a date or 'arranging' anything. As Im sure you all do or did, we like the idea of putting both of our ideas, thoughts, wants and needs out together. But we are totally stuck on the first hurdle! Where to get married.

My thoughts are that I would love somewhere to have the wedding and reception in the same place, somewhere small, intimate, immediate family and very close friends only. I have scouted around and seen comlongon castle which I ..... but o/h isnt too keen. Partly cost (hence the registry office), partly travel as we are in Newcastle and the venue is in Dumphries... most of my family is in Kent!

To be honest, I dont mind where we get married. But Im finding that Google isnt my friend on this one as there is a serious lack of pictures for regstry offices and I am one of those that has to see what Im getting!

So if anyone wouldnt mind giing my their take on registry offices they have seen/liked/loved I would really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance,

Laurenbird x

Can't really help with the register offices because we very quickly decided that we would have our civil ceremony in a 'venue' rather than a register office...they all seemed too small for our quite big wedding. I love Cooling Castle Barn in Kent though...www.coolingcastlebarn.com.

I found with the register offices that lots of them had photos and even virtual tours on the council websites - have you tried them? Also remember that your ceremony is probably going to be a max of 30 mins - if I were you I'd be choosing the venue for the reception and then looking at nearby register offices as you'll be spending a lot more time at the reception venue.

Ooh, and welcome to wedding planning!

welcome to WP

Just thought i'd say that i had to give notice in Sunderland, and when i was there saw the rooms they use for weddings etc. and they were actually really nice. Also, major plus point for me there would be that Mowbray Park is connected by bridge and would be beautiful for photographs. Just thought from your location it's maybe worth a look, although it does look a bit odd from the outside (i think in a funky way but others may disagree!).

Here's a link if you'd like a look.

I would echo what sdaisy says though, and say that if you know where you'd like the reception (or an idea of what you'd like) find this first, as the ceremony is so short, and to be honest i think for that part you'll definitely be focusing on your h2b rather than the room.

Hello and Welcome!

This is the Registry Office I got married in

http://www.kent.gov.uk/Community/births-marriages-and-deaths/our-services/local-offices/archbishops-palace.htm

Its in Maidstone, Kent and is lovely. If you Google Archbishops Palace, Maidstone you will get some more pictures

I agree with one of the above, the registry office is the place you spend the least amount of time and you don't have to have any photos taken there. I'd spend your energy on finding your reception venue, then book the nearest registry office to save ther £200-300 costs the impose for marrying you in a licenced venue vs the £103.50 fixed registry office wedding fee. You can then also consider all venues, whether they hold a civil licence or not. Consider who you want at the wedding, esp close family & friends and factor in their travel to your preferred location i.e. do some have children and to stay in a hotel would be prohibitively expensive?

I used www.forbetterforworse.co.uk to find our venue, Farnham Castle in Surrey, there's also a hitched venue list any once you've decided on the area, the local registry office can supply a list of licenced venues.

Another vote for Archbishops in Maidstone - for a registry office i think it is stunning x

Thanks guys, you all raise extremely valid points! I never really thought about the amount of time spent in the registry office vs the amount of time in the venue for the reception... Pretty dense of me!!

Well i have had another massive look around and to be honest i can only think of one place i want which is the one i saw originally!! Comlongon castle... its spectcular! Might have a registry office wedding then on to comlongon but its such an amazing place, why not get married there? The cost of cars vs the extra cost of ceremony there would surely cancel each other out?? And if not surely i can tell a white lie?? lol

Well looks like im right back where i was at the beginning of the month now! Something tells me that I will be grey by the end of this... and possibly divorced!!!

Thanks again for all the suggestions/help. It is very much appreciated xxx

Here's a list of approved venues in the Newcastle city area.  I'm sure a search for Northumberland would throw up a lot more choices if you want to marry somewhere local to you.

http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/core.nsf/a/marriageappvenues

I suppose the easy thing to do first is decide what part of the country you want to marry in first then take it from there as each region will have many, many choices.  Local council websites are a good start as they will tell you which venues are licenced to hold weddings.

Once you decide that let us Hitchers know and I'm sure someone will help you out with the other major things.

We got married here in Aberdeenshire (a bit far for you I know)

http://www.meldrumhousegolf.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=27

I've just read back your OP and I've not been much help. But certainly narrow our search to an area, rather than try to choose somewhere in the whole of the UK.

If you can afford Comlongon then I don't think you need to worry about the cost of the ceremony.

You do know that if you want entertainment you have to book ALL of the rooms?

It is a lovely place, really but there are so many beautiful castle/country house/private estate type venues in Scotland. You're spoiled for choice tbh.

Oh and I married at Park Circus in Glasgow which is actually a really beautiful registry office.

x