You will need to discuss available dates and times with both the register office and your chosen venue before making any arrangements. Please call 0113 222 4408 to check that staff from the register office are available.
Depending on availability we perform ceremonies at licensed venues on the hour from 10am to 5pm, 7 days a week (except Christmas day).
In order for you to be legally married, the declaratory and contracting words must form part of your marriage ceremony. There are alternatives to the traditional declaratory and contracting words, which can be used to make the marriage ceremony shorter, or to help in cases where saying the full versions may be difficult for either of you. You must choose one selection from each of the options below. Those shown as Option 1 are the traditional forms of the Declaratory and Contracting words.
A - First declaration
Option:
- “I do solemnly declare that I know not of any lawful impediment why I ….... may not be joined in matrimony to ……..”
- “I declare that I know of no legal reason why I ………… may not be joined in marriage to ……..”
- by replying “I am” to the question “Are you ………. free lawfully to marry ………..?”
B - Second declaration
Option:
- “I call upon these persons here present to witness that I ….... do take thee …….. to be my lawful wedded husband/wife”
- “I ……. take you ……….. to be my wedded husband/wife”
- “I ……. take thee ……….. to be my wedded husband/wife?”
You may choose any combination from list A and B. Please state your choice on your ceremony checklist when returning it to the Ceremonies team at
register.headoffice@leeds.gov.uk.
As well as the cost of giving notice (£35 per person), you must pay the registrar to attend and perform your ceremony. The fee must be paid on the day of your notice of marriage/civil partnership appointment. If you give notice outside of Leeds you must pay your ceremony fee within 14 days of giving notice. The ceremony fee includes one copy of the marriage/civil partnership certificate.
Each venue will also charge its own fee for use of their premises for your ceremony, so please contact them for details.
Please see our
Registrars fees page for the full list of costs.
Outdoor ceremonies can be held in many of our licensed venues, for example on a terrace or in a garden.
If you wish to hold your ceremony outdoors you should inform the registrar as soon as possible after you have made your ceremony booking.
Outdoor venue approval
We will need to approve the outdoor area where ceremonies will be held. Please check with your chosen venue that they have received our approval.
The legal part of the ceremony must still be held inside the licensed room but this can be easily included as part of your ceremony arrangements.
Swapping indoors to outdoors
If you have initially booked your ceremony to take place indoors, and would now like to hold your ceremony outdoors, you must contact the Register Office as soon as possible on 0113 378 9664. Agreement form
You are also required to complete, sign and return an 'Outdoor Ceremony Agreement Form' to confirm with us that your ceremony can only take place outdoors under the condition that the weather and conditions are suitable.
We must receive this no later than 4 weeks prior to your ceremony. It will not be possible to hold your ceremony outdoors if we have not received this agreement.
Please email
register.headoffice@leeds.gov.uk for a form.
Leeds Register Office will make every effort to conduct your ceremony outdoors but reserves the right, at its discretion, to move the ceremony indoors.
Unsuitable weather or conditions
You should make additional plans with the venue to hold your ceremony in one of the licensed rooms in case the weather or conditions are deemed unsuitable on the registrar’s arrival, or where they become unsuitable during the ceremony itself.
The indoor ceremony room should be able to accommodate all of your invited guests. It is important that you consult with your venue on this, and whether chairs will be provided for both the outdoor ceremony area and the licensed room.
Unsuitable weather or conditions are defined as:
- rain (or the high likelihood of showers)
- wind
- cold (under 16 degrees)
- muddy or unsuitable ground
- extreme heat (or lack of suitable shade)
The final decision as to whether the ceremony will take place outdoors or indoors rests with the registrars on their arrival at the venue.
Cancellations
Any cancellation or alteration by you will be subject to our usual booking and cancellation conditions.
See note 14 on our Leeds Register Office ceremonies – terms and conditions page.
Please note that we would normally only accept requests to cancel or rearrange a ceremony from one of the parties. Requests can be made by phone, by letter or email to
register.headoffice@leeds.gov.uk. We will confirm requests in writing.
We are unable to refund any ceremony fees where the ceremony is cancelled within 28 days (four weeks) of the ceremony taking place. Ceremonies cancelled between 56 days (eight weeks) and 28 days (four weeks) of the ceremony date will incur a fee equivalent to 50% of the ceremony fee.
Where is a ceremony is re–scheduled during the above timescales and is then subsequently cancelled, the cancellation policy will be applied against the date the ceremony was re–scheduled, not the date it was cancelled.
No refunds can be made where no notice of cancellation or non attendance is received up to the time of the ceremony. Provisional booking administration fees cannot be refunded.
