​We are here to help at every step of organising your ceremony. You can also contact us for information on how to license a venue and advertise with us online or in our brochure.

We have a dedicated ceremony co-ordination team who are very passionate about making sure each couple has a personal ceremony, giving them wonderful memories for years to come.

If you have any queries or problems, please contact us and our team will help:

• telephone: 01665 602870 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 4:30pm)
• email: alnwickreg@northumberland.gov.uk
• post: The Register Office, 27 Fenkle Street, Alnwick, NE66 1HW  

We have three main register offices in the county, all with experienced and dedicated registrars. Opening times for all offices are 9am and 3:30pm, by appointment only. Notice of marriage appointments can be made at any of these offices by calling 01665 602870.

Register office locations

Alnwick: The Register Office, 27 Fenkle Street, Alnwick, NE66 1HW (location map)
Hexham: Hexham House, Gilesgate, Hexham, NE46 3NH (location map)
Morpeth: Morpeth Town Hall, Market Place, Morpeth, NE61 1LZ (location map)

Licensing a venue

A civil ceremony may take place in any register office or approved premises in England and Wales. To become an approved premise, a building must be licensed by the local authority.

An approved venue must be a permanent structure and meet minimum standards for marriages.

As part of the licensing process, the local authority will inspect the building and you will be expected to pay a fee of £2,000 for the registration process. A licence is normally granted for five years.
 

How to apply

Please view our guidance notes and application form below. 
For further details, please contact Kathryn Guy:
Phone: 01670 622542
Email: kathryn.guy@northumberland.gov.uk
 
Click here to fill in the Application form.

Please see our guidance notes for more information.

Religious ceremonies

Under the provision of the Places of Worship Act 1855, a place of meeting for religious worship may, if the congregation wish, be certified to the registrar general through the superintendent registrar of the district in which it is situated.

Please use form 76 for this purpose. This form must be completed by a person connected with the place of worship, who must add a description showing the capacity in which they are acting (e.g. minister, proprietor, trustee). A rough sketch plan of the building must be included with the application. A statutory fee of £28 is payable for this service.
 

Registering a place of worship for marriage

Under the provision of the Marriage Act 1949, a duly certified place of religious worship may be registered for the formalisation of marriages. The application should be made by the proprietor or trustee of the building through the superintendent registrar of the district in which it is situated.

Please use form 78 for this purpose. It requires the signatures of at least 20 separate householders stating that they attend the building as their usual place of religious worship. A statutory fee is payable for this service, currently £120.

Northumberland County Council continues to invest in a successful marketing campaign to promote Northumberland as the premier wedding destination in the country.

We regularly update our brochures and there are many opportunities to advertise with us. For further information please contact us by: 

telephone: 01665 602870
email: alnwickreg@northumberland.gov.uk

We really enjoy hearing from couples and families who we have arranged and conducted ceremonies for.

We appreciate any feedback you can give us. Please contact us by: 

email: alnwickreg@northumberland.gov.uk
post: The Ceremony Co-ordination Team, 27 Fenkle Street, Alnwick, NE66 1HW

Read our customer testimonials:

“We were so pleased with the ceremony at our daughter’s wedding, it was just perfect. Thank you for being part of our memorable day.” Ann R, mother of the bride.

“You did such a great job keeping things as formal as they needed to be, while still allowing us to have fun as well. We have so many happy and special memories of the ceremony which we will carry with us always.” Dom and Alice.

“We just wanted to say a huge thank you to you both for our wonderful ceremony. We had the usual nerves prior to the wedding but you both were so lovely and caring, it really helped us. Everyone commented on how wonderful the ceremony was, which really is a credit to you both. We had a wonderful day and will remember the ceremony for years to come” Ian and Catherine.

“We were so nervous about the ceremony but we needn’t have worried at all as everything went so smoothly, from the beginning of the ceremony, the reading, and exchange of vows and rings, through to the signing of the register. The whole day was marvellous. Thank you so much.” Joanne and Sean.

“We would like to express our thanks for the professional way you carried out our wedding ceremony. You put everyone at ease and made a legal procedure a very warm and memorable occasion on our special day.” Michael and Nancy.

“Thank you for the professional, yet personal, service that you provided on our wedding day. You were great!” Claire and Graham