5 easy steps to renewing your vows

1. Choose your venue

Renewal ceremonies can take place at any of our licensed venues. With over 70 to choose from, ranging from ancient castles to cosy hotels, Northumberland has the perfect venue for you. Use our search venues tool to find the place that suits you best. To help you decide, read our wedding brochure and look to see if there are any wedding fairs coming up.

Once you have chosen your venue, book your registrar as soon as possible, even if it is a few years in advance of your ceremony.

2. Book the registrar

Call our wedding co-ordination team on 01665 602870 to book your registrar. If possible, request alternative dates from your venue just in case your preferred date and time isn’t available.

If you have decided to have a combined naming and renewal ceremony, please let the registrar know at this point.
 
When you book the registrar, you will need to pay a non-refundable booking fee. Prices are as follows:

• ceremony fees 2019-20
• ceremony fees 2020-21
• ceremony fees 2021-22

If you change the date, time or venue of your wedding, you will need to pay an amendment fee charged at the current rate.

3. Plan your day

There are lots of ways to personalise your day to make it extra special. Some couples like to have readings or words from guests who originally attended the wedding, or from their children. Our ‘personal touches’ page can help you personalise your ceremony and our wedding brochure features local suppliers, including photographers, musicians, florists and caterers, who provide locally sourced food.

Please remember that yours is a civil ceremony and there should be no religious content.

The information below does not apply for register office ceremonies. We will send you a ceremony arrangement pack after you pay your booking fee to:

• help you understand what happens on the day
• show you the structure of the ceremony and the wording used
• give you ideas and options to say during the ceremony
• suggest ideas for personal promises you could make to each other
• advise on how to personalise your service, e.g. readings, candle ceremonies
• give you tips of what you need to do before the ceremony
• include a ceremony arrangement form to be completed with your decisions at least six weeks before the ceremony

4. Pay your fees and return your ceremony form

Return your completed ceremony form to us at least six weeks before the service. Please include any outstanding fees and anything that your conducting registrar will need for the ceremony, such as readings.

Return your completed forms to:

The Ceremony Co-ordination Team
The Register Office
27 Fenkle Street
Alnwick
NE66 1HW
 
You can pay your fees by:

• telephone: 01665 602870 using a credit or debit card
• post: you can send a cheque made payable to ‘Northumberland County Council’ to the above address

• ceremony fees 2018-19
• ceremony fees 2019-20
• ceremony fees 2020-21
• ceremony fees 2021-22

5. What happens on the day

You won’t need any paperwork and all fees will have been paid, leaving you to enjoy your day. The registrar(s) will arrive approximately 30 minutes before the start of the ceremony. They will check last minute arrangements and will speak to anyone playing a part in the ceremony, to ensure everything runs smoothly. We will talk to your photographer/videographer to confirm we are happy for them to discreetly capture the entire ceremony.

Things to remember:

• your ceremony should start promptly to ensure our registrars can travel safely to their next ceremony
• we reserve the right to leave if we feel the following ceremony will be compromised – this decision will not be taken lightly and we will always consult with you and the venue first
• bring any of your own promises and readings with you on the day – you could mount them on card and keep them as a memento of your day
• any music (CD/iPod) should be given directly to the venue

After the ceremony, we will present a commemorative certificate signed by you both, two witnesses and the registrar.