Terms and conditions - Register Office or Ceremonies Room

Bracknell Forest Council will provide appropriate staff to conduct the legal formalities of your wedding or civil partnership ceremony. They may substitute other experienced and qualified staff in the case of sickness or other unforeseen circumstances on the day.

You and your guests will arrive in good time (as previously advised). This will allow the ceremony’s preliminaries to be completed and that the ceremony will start at the arranged time.

Under no circumstances will Bracknell Forest Council delay any ceremony or appointment taking place after yours. If it is not possible to conduct your ceremony due to the lateness of you or your guests, you may have to cancel or re-schedule your ceremony (subject to availability and compliance with the terms and conditions of booking appointments). In both cases additional fees could apply.

The decision as to whether it is possible to conduct your ceremony due to the lateness of you or your guests is that of Bracknell Forest Council’s Superintendent or Deputy Superintendent conducting the ceremony and that decision is final.

Should the bride, groom and sufficient suitable witnesses be available at the time your wedding is due to start, we will not delay the start of the ceremony, should any guests be delayed for any reason.

You will have been supplied with a link to your ceremony choices to enable you to personalise your ceremony with your own choice of vows, subject to the ceremony remaining appropriate and dignified.

It is your responsibility to complete and return your ceremony choices at least 2 weeks prior to the ceremony date. Failure to do so may result in a standard wedding ceremony taking place.

You note that there is no facility to play any music before, during or after your ceremony.

You are not able to personalise the existing room decoration or alter the existing room layout in any way

The use of confetti or the scattering of flowers or any other matter is not allowed, either within the building or directly outside the front of the building.

The Superintendent or Deputy Superintendent Registrar conducting the ceremony has the right not to conduct any ceremony where they find that any part of the ceremony compromises the heath and safety of themselves and their colleagues.

You must make sure that no fireworks, candles or similar matter of any description are present or set off before, during or after the ceremony, either within or outside of the building.

No electrical devices are allowed to be plugged into any electrical sockets.

Smoking is not permitted at any point before, during or after the ceremony within the building.

Food and drink will not be admitted to the Register Office or Ceremonies Room at any point before, during or after the ceremony.

Anyone obviously under the influence of alcohol or drugs or who is abusive, shall be asked by the Superintendent or Deputy Superintendent conducting the ceremony to leave the room and the ceremony will not proceed should that person(s) not comply.

Animals, including your own pets, are not allowed to be present in either room or to take part in the ceremony. Guide dogs may attend with their owners.

You must not exceed the capacity that the venue is licensed for:

• the Register Office accommodates 2 witnesses only in addition to the couple
• the Ceremonies Room accommodates 35 guests in addition to the couple.

Any additional guests over the licensed capacity will be excluded from the ceremony before the ceremony can start.

It is the responsibility of the bride and groom to make sure the maximum capacity is not compromised and to make the necessary decisions as to who may need to leave should this be the case.

All parties must make sure that you arrive at the registration service offices at least 20 minutes prior to the agreed ceremony start time.

We are not responsible for making sure that there is adequate parking and facilities for you and your guests at the registration services offices. Disabled parking is available at the front of the offices, subject to availability.

You and your guests will be respectful of other groups at the registration services offices who may be using its facilities.

You must provide 2 witnesses for your ceremony. Bracknell Forest Council is not responsible for providing these. If either of you require an interpreter they must also act as one of your witnesses.

Witnesses should be over the age of 16 years and be able to speak and understand English. The decision as to whether a witness speaks and understands sufficient English to witness the ceremony lies with the Superintendent or Deputy Superintendent conducting the ceremony and that decision is final.

You must make sure that all mobile phones and other electrical devices are either switched off or set to silent during the ceremony.

Photographs can be taken during the ceremony in the Ceremonies Room only but will be restricted and subject to the agreement of the Superintendent or Deputy Superintendent Registrar performing the ceremony, however they are not allowed to cause any unnecessary delays or interrupt the conduct of the ceremony at any point.

Due to time constraints there are no facilities for photographs after the ceremony has taken place.