Locations for marriages and civil partnerships

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Locations for marriages and civil partnerships

If you would like a civil ceremony, you can choose from one of the following locations:

Register Office: you can choose any Register Office in England and Wales.
Licensed venue: a civil ceremony can also take place at a licensed venue which has been granted a licence for ceremonies. These venues tend to be stately homes, civic buildings and hotels.

To arrange your ceremony, you must contact the Register Office in the district where your venue is located to book your required date and time. You must also make an appointment with your local Register Office to complete the legal documentation.

Civil ceremonies at Rochdale Register Office

If you're planning a civil ceremony, Rochdale Register Office is an ideal setting. It's located in Rochdale's world famous grade one Gothic Town Hall and is renowned for its unique architecture. Ceremonies take place:

Monday to Friday, 9.45am - 11.15am and 2pm-3.30pm
Saturday: 9.45am - 4.15pm.
Sunday: 10am - 4pm.

New ceremony room at Number One Riverside

The new ceremony room, named the Red Rose Suite, will be tastefully decorated with contemporary lighting features and furnishings. The versatile room will be able to accommodate up to 70 guests. The new venue will also include access to a roof top terrace with views across the Pennines for photographs and celebratory drinks with friends and family.

The Roche Suite

The ceremonies room is air-conditioned and is tastefully furnished and decorated. It will seat up to 40 guests with limited additional standing room. Wedding parties have their own marriage entrance and waiting area, with access to toilet facilities. If you forget to buy your confetti, we have confetti on sale from our reception point.

We have a background music system in the waiting areas and a music system in the ceremonies room. Music will automatically be played unless you inform us otherwise. If you wish to personalise your ceremony, you can supply your own CD. Please note that the law does not allow any religious music to be played at a civil marriage ceremony.

A video camera may be used during the ceremony providing that prior arrangement has been made with the Register Office. Should you wish a photographer to take photographs during the ceremony, please speak to the registrar prior to the ceremony and they will advise you. Your guests will be given time at the conclusion of the ceremony for any photographs they may wish to take.

Facilities include:

Full access for disabled people and pushchairs.
Two rooms where ceremonies can take place.
Toilet facilities that meet all the requirements for disabled people; also includes nappy changing facilities for babies.
A new paved courtyard outside the office, including bench seating and floral planters and makes an ideal setting for your wedding photographs.
A park and attractive garden areas next to the Register Office for more wedding photographs.

Take a virtual tour of Rochdale's registry office at the town hall

Civil ceremonies at licensed venues in the Rochdale borough

You can have a civil ceremony at a licensed venue. The ceremony will be conducted by staff from the Rochdale Register Office and will be a civil ceremony rather than a religious one.

Approved marriage and civil partnership venues.

Religious ceremonies

Marriages: If you choose to marry in a registered building, for example a church or mosque, you must check with them to see if they will marry you. The marriage laws will only allow you to marry in a registered building that is in the same Local Authority area that you live in, unless it 's your usual place of worship. Once you've decided on the building you must contact your local Register Office to make an appointment to complete the legal documentation.

If you plan to marry in a Church of England church, the vicar will normally complete your paperwork for you (usually called Banns). If the vicar is unable to do this then they'll advise you to make an appointment with your local Register Office to complete the legal documentation.

Civil partnerships: If you would like your civil partnership registration to take place in a registered building you would need to check with them to see if this would be possible.