Marriage or civil partnership ceremony terms and conditions

When a couple (‘You or Your Customer’) book a marriage or civil partnership ceremony with Us, acting as the Trafford Register Office of Trafford Council Service ('We, Us, Our'), the following terms and conditions apply.

For the purpose of these terms and conditions, ‘party’ or ‘parties’ refer to one or both of the couple to be married or form a civil partnership.

Marriage and civil partnership ceremonies

1. For the ceremony to take place, no legal impediment to the marriage or civil partnership can exist. All required documentation must have been presented to Us and approved by Us, as required by law, prior to the ceremony. This comprises:
   • The legal preliminaries must be completed within the statutory time limits being no sooner than 12 months and no later than 28 clear days prior to the ceremony date (clear days start the day after the notice is given) This is known as 'giving notice' and you have to provide specific information and documentation to the Superintendent Registrar (or their Deputy) in the Local Authority District within which you reside at the time of giving notice, before the marriage or civil partnership schedule can be issued and the marriage or civil partnership can proceed. Such notice should ideally be given at least three months before the ceremony date.
   • Where applicable any foreign divorce or dissolution papers must be approved by the Registrar General, before the marriage/civil partnership can legally proceed.
2. You will need to provide two witnesses who are over the age of 18 and fluent in English to witness the marriage or civil partnership. Please note Trafford registration staff cannot act as witnesses.
3. If either party or one of their witnesses does not speak or understand English in order for the ceremony to proceed You must bring an interpreter who fully understands or is fluent in both the language of the party(ies) and witnesses to the ceremony and fluent in English. Your interpreter(s) will be required to sign as a witness to the ceremony. If your interpreter is not sufficiently proficient in the relevant languages the ceremony will not proceed.
4. We shall not be held liable for any delay, postponement, cancellation of Your ceremony, or loss incurred by the late arrival of You or any of Your guests. The Registrars attending Your ceremony have other ceremonies to attend and cannot allow the lateness of one ceremony to impact upon the start time of another. Ceremonies must start at the booked time. Late guests to ceremonies will be admitted as soon as is possible in keeping with the continuity of the ceremony. Late guests will not be able to act as witnesses.
5. It is an offence under section 25(1) of the Immigration Act 1971 to enter into a marriage to help facilitate a stay in the United Kingdom. If your ceremony with Us, does not go ahead due to a UK Visa and immigration intervention, We shall not be liable to You or any third party for any losses incurred as a result of such intervention.
6. If it is alleged that a legal impediment to a marriage or civil partnership exists, We have a legal duty to investigate before the ceremony can take place. We shall not be liable for any resulting delay, postponement, cancellation of Your ceremony and, or any losses or additional costs that may be incurred. It is a legal requirement that the Registrar must stop Your ceremony from proceeding if:
   • Either of You appear to be acting under duress;
   • Either of You appear to be unable to understand the nature and purpose of the ceremony;
   • Either of You appear to lack the mental capacity to understand the nature and purpose of the ceremony;
   • A lawful objection is made before or during the ceremony for a reason set out in Appendix A
   • Either party or their witnesses are under the influence of alcohol or drugs
7. Due to government guidelines and restrictions in force at the time, ceremonies and appointments may be subject to cancellation and rescheduling at short notice. By booking (including a booking that is a rescheduling) You are agreeing that You understand and accept the risk of late notice cancellations and, or rescheduling. If it is mandated that no marriage or civil partnerships may take place, then We must abide by that mandate. This could include but is not limited to: periods of lockdown, restrictions on movement of people, or national public events.
8. Without prejudice to any other clause in these terms and conditions, We shall not be liable for:
   • Any matters relating to an approved venue (as defined at clause 3 below) or a third party contractor.
   • Any loss caused following the decision of Registration staff to move the ceremony inside due to poor weather. (See clauses 2.3 and 3.6)
   • Any loss or refund where a ceremony is stopped from proceeding because (a) it would be void if it went ahead, (b) an offence under the Marriage Act 1949 or Civil Partnership Act 2004 would be committed as described in Appendix A.
9. In the event of an emergency, natural disaster, extreme weather conditions or any other event which is outside Our control, We will still make reasonable endeavours to perform Your ceremony on Your chosen day. However, We shall not be responsible or liable for any consequences, financial or otherwise, where a ceremony has to be cancelled or delayed as a result of such events.
10. It is your responsibility to ensure that You update Us in writing, to the Superintendent Registrar, Trafford Register office, Sale Town Hall, Sale Waterside, Sale, M33 7ZF (or via email to ceremonies@trafford.gov.uk) with any changes to relevant contact details, such as phone numbers and email addresses.
11. We recommend that You take out suitable ceremony insurance to cover any losses or expenses that may be incurred as a result of the ceremony being cancelled, delayed or postponed.

Marriage and Civil Partnership Ceremonies at Sale Town Hall

1. Sale Town Hall, has several spaces within the Waterside building which are licensed by Trafford licencing department for marriage and civil partnerships. A complete list can be found at Appendix B.
2. All ceremonies are exclusively delivered by ‘Trafford Registration staff’ to ensure a high degree of professionalism and solemnity in keeping with the occasion and so that legal requirements are maintained.
3. We shall allocate staff to attend Your ceremony. The attendance of any individual specific Registrar cannot be guaranteed. It is not possible to choose which Registrar will attend your ceremony. We reserve the right to substitute allocated staff with other experienced and qualified staff in case of sickness or other unforeseen circumstances on the day.
4. Where You arrange to hold Your ceremony outdoors on the Waterside Plaza, which is licensed for marriage and civil partnerships, You must inform us at the time that You make Your booking with Us. If there is bad weather on the day, it will be up to the Registrar to decide whether to hold Your ceremony outside or to hold Your ceremony indoors, at one of the licenced rooms within Sale Town Hall.
5. Both parties to the marriage or civil partnership must meet with the Registrars at Sale Town Hall 20 minutes before the ceremony start time. In the event of late arrival by both or either of the parties, it may not be possible to proceed with Your ceremony. Where Your ceremony can proceed, the length and content of Your ceremony may be reduced.
6. Where you have chosen a ceremony which allows personalisation, such as music, readings and additional vows, please note that the law requires that the ceremony remains ‘solemn and dignified’ and must contain no religious content or reference. All content must be submitted to the Superintendent Registrar no later than 14 days before the date of the ceremony. Any content provided after this will not be included in the ceremony. Any readings in languages other than English must be translated into English. We reserve the right to make the final decision on any wording used, and will not accept liability for any omissions in ceremony content.
7. Animals are not permitted within our ceremony rooms in Sale Town Hall, except guide dogs or assistance animals. An assistance animal is one that provides assistance in relation to a disability. If You or a guest need an assistance animal to be present at the ceremony You must provide Us with written notification (as per 1.10) of this no less than 28 days in advance of the ceremony. With Your written notice You must provide evidence of bona fide status of the assistance animal from the organisation that trained the animal. Couples are responsible for ensuring any damage or fouling by an animal is cleaned or rectified immediately after the ceremony to allow for the next ceremony to take place in a hygienic and tidy environment. You will be liable to Us in relation to any claims against Us for loss or damages or costs allegedly caused by the animal and You are recommended to seek insurance cover accordingly.
8. Any gifts, flowers or general goods delivered to, or left at, one of our ceremony rooms at Sale Town Hall, in conjunction with a ceremony are not Our responsibility and We will not be liable for any loss of or damage to any such gifts, flowers or goods.
9. For fire, safety and comfort, the number of guests (which includes all babies and children) must not exceed the capacity of the room.
10. Photography and recording of the ceremony by You and Your guests is a popular request at ceremonies. You and Your guests are able to take photographs and make video recordings during any part of the proceedings except the signing of the marriage/civil partnership schedule.
11. No food or drink may be sold or consumed in the room in which the proceedings take place, for one hour prior to and during the ceremony.
12. Smoking and vaping are not permitted at Sale Town Hall.
13. Anyone under the influence of alcohol or other substances or who is abusive, aggressive, violent or shows other threatening behaviour, will be asked to leave the ceremony. Our staff are here to help you, but they have the right to work in a safe environment. We are committed to resolving any problems or queries that You may have but we are also committed to the care and protection of our employees against abusive, aggressive, violent, or otherwise threatening behaviour. If the person does not leave when asked then the ceremony may not be able to proceed or continue.

Marriage and Civil Partnership Ceremonies at Approved Venues

1. An 'Approved Venue' is a venue, other than Our Registration offices, at Sale Town Hall, which is licensed by Trafford licencing department to hold marriage and civil partnership ceremonies. A complete list can be found at Approved premises
2. Bookings are taken by Us on the understanding that the venue You are electing to have Your ceremony at holds approval under the provision of section 46A and 46B of the Marriage Act 1949 or section 36(1) of the Civil Partnership Act 2004. Approval of the venue by Us is granted in connection with the provision of civil ceremonies only, for example, not religious.
3. It is Your responsibility to ensure that the requisite approval is in force on the date of the planned ceremony. If there is no valid approval in force on the day of the ceremony, the ceremony cannot take place and We shall not be liable for any losses incurred as a result of such approval not being in force.
4. For ceremonies at approved venues, it is Your responsibility to book and pay for that venue. Our ceremony fee secures the attendance of the registrars to conduct the ceremony only.
5. All ceremonies are exclusively delivered by ‘Trafford registration staff’ to ensure a high degree of professionalism and solemnity in keeping with the occasion and so that legal requirements are maintained.
6. We shall allocate staff to attend your ceremony. The attendance of any individual specific Registrar cannot be guaranteed. It is not possible to choose which Registrar will attend your ceremony. We reserve the right to substitute allocated staff with other experienced and qualified staff in case of sickness or other unforeseen circumstances on the day.
7. Where You arrange to hold your ceremony outdoors in a venue which is licensed to do so, You must inform us at the time that You make Your booking with Us. If there is bad weather on the day, it will be up to the Registrar to decide whether to hold the ceremony outside. Venues will need to have an alternative plan for an indoor ceremony in the event of poor weather conditions. Please ensure that You are aware of the venue’s alternative plans.
8. Both parties to the marriage or civil partnership must meet with the Registrars at Your Approved Venue 20 minutes before the ceremony start time. In the event of late arrival by both or either of the parties, it may not be possible to proceed with Your ceremony. Where Your ceremony can proceed, the length and content of Your ceremony may be reduced.
9. Where you have chosen a ceremony which allows personalisation, such as music, readings and additional vows, please note that the law requires that the ceremony remains ‘solemn and dignified’ and must contain no religious content or reference. All content must be submitted to the Superintendent Registrar no later than 14 days before the date of the ceremony. Any content provided after this will not be included in the ceremony. Any readings in languages other than English must be translated into English. We reserve the right to make the final decision on any wording used, and will not accept liability for any omissions in ceremony content.
10. Photography and recording of the ceremony by You and Your guests is a popular request at ceremonies. You and Your guests are able to take photographs and make video recordings during any part of the proceedings except the signing of the marriage/civil partnership schedule
11. No food or drink may be sold or consumed in the room in which the proceedings take place, for one hour prior to and during the ceremony.
12. If Your ceremony is at an approved venue which permits a couple to have animals or wildlife at the ceremony, the venue and Yourselves are entirely responsible for the health and safety of the guests and any housekeeping issues which may arise as a result.
13. In the event of a fire or other emergency or hazard during Your ceremony, responsibility for the safety of the couple and guests lie with the Venue and We have no liability for any loss or damage relating to the venue.
14. Anyone under the influence of alcohol or other substances or who is abusive, aggressive, violent or shows other threatening behaviour, will be asked to leave the ceremony. Our staff are here to help you, but they have the right to work in a safe environment. We are committed to resolving any problems or queries that You may have but we are also committed to the care and protection of our employees against abusive, aggressive, violent, or otherwise threatening behaviour. If the person does not leave when asked then the ceremony may not be able to proceed or continue.

Marriage and civil partnership at Trafford Register Office

1. Trafford Register Office, is a small office in Sale Town Hall, which can accommodate the couple and two witnesses only, for a 'basic minimum statutory ceremony' at Trafford Register Office which is a marriage or civil partnership that is limited to You, Your partner and two witnesses and is the legal minimum ceremony set out in law. See Appendix B.
2. Only the couple plus two witnesses may attend the marriage ceremony or civil partnership formation held in Trafford Register Office
3. Where a statutory marriage ceremony or civil partnership formation has been booked, no additional choices, enhancements, music or personalisations can be included.
4. All ceremonies are exclusively delivered by ‘Trafford Registration staff’ to ensure a high degree of professionalism and solemnity in keeping with the occasion and so that legal requirements are maintained.
5. We shall allocate staff to attend your ceremony. The attendance of any individual specific Registrar cannot be guaranteed. It is not possible to choose which Registrar will attend your ceremony. We reserve the right to substitute allocated staff with other experienced and qualified staff in case of sickness or other unforeseen circumstances on the day.
6. Both parties to the marriage or civil partnership must meet with the Registrars at The Register office, Sale Town Hall 20 minutes before the ceremony start time. In the event of late arrival by both or either of the parties, it may not be possible to proceed with Your ceremony.
7. Animals are not permitted within the Register Office, Sale Town Hall, except guide dogs or assistance animals. An assistance animal is one that provides assistance in relation to a disability. If You or a guest need an assistance animal to be present at the ceremony You must provide Us with written notification (as per 1.10) of this no less than 28 days in advance of the ceremony. With Your written notice You must provide evidence of bona fide status of the assistance animal from the organisation that trained the animal. Couples are responsible for ensuring any damage or fouling by an animal is cleaned or rectified immediately after the ceremony to allow for the next ceremony to take place in a hygienic and tidy environment. You will be liable to Us in relation to any claims against Us for loss or damages or costs allegedly caused by the animal and You are recommended to seek insurance cover accordingly.
8. Any gifts, flowers or general goods delivered to, or left at, the Register office, Sale Town Hall, in conjunction with a ceremony are not Our responsibility and We will not be liable for any loss of or damage to any such gifts, flowers and goods.
9. For fire, safety and comfort, the number of guests (which includes all babies and children) must not exceed the capacity of the room.
10. Photography and recording of the ceremony by You and Your guests is a popular request at ceremonies. You and Your witnesses are able to take photographs and make video recordings during any part of the proceedings except the signing of the marriage/civil partnership schedule. A photographer cannot attend as an extra person to ceremonies at Trafford Register Office.
11. No food or drink may be sold or consumed in the room in which the proceedings take place, for one hour prior to and during the ceremony.
12. Smoking and vaping are not permitted at the Register Office, Sale Town Hall
13. Anyone under the influence of alcohol or other substances or who is abusive, aggressive, violent or shows other threatening behaviour, will be asked to leave the ceremony. Our staff are here to help you, but they have the right to work in a safe environment. We are committed to resolving any problems or queries that You may have but we are also committed to the care and protection of our employees against abusive, aggressive, violent, or otherwise threatening behaviour. If the person does not leave when asked then the ceremony may not be able to proceed or continue.

Fees and charges

1. A non-refundable booking fee is due at the time you make your ceremony booking. Further details of fees and charges
2. The balance of the ceremony fee is payable no later than two months prior to the date of the ceremony. If the ceremony is due to take place within three months of the booking date, payment of the full fee will be required at the time of booking. We have the right to cancel your ceremony if the total fees have not been paid on time.
3. Fees are published on Our website and are subject to change. Statutory fees are set by the Government and changes can take place at any time. Statutory fees apply to Statutory marriages and Statutory civil partnership ceremonies, notice of marriage or civil partnership fees, and certificates. We reserve the right to pass on any increases in statutory fees, should such fees increase prior to the ceremony date.

Cancellations, amendments and refunds

1. Ceremonies must be cancelled in writing to the Superintendent Registrar, Trafford Register Office, Sale Town Hall, Sale Waterside, Sale, M33 7ZF (or via email to ceremonies@trafford.gov.uk). An email notifying us of cancellation sent to any other email account cannot be accepted.
2. Ceremonies can only be rescheduled to a different date and, or time subject to availability. If the new ceremony date, venue, or time incurs a higher fee this will be notified at the point of booking.
3. In the event of a cancellation of a ceremony, requests for refunds for any element of ceremony or statutory fees relating to marriage (or civil partnership) certificates will be subject to the provisions set out in set out in Appendix C.
4. Without prejudice to any other clause in these terms and conditions, a ceremony may be cancelled by us if:
   • The total fees have not been paid on time (two months before the ceremony)
   • Legal preliminaries have not or cannot be completed on time (See 1.1)

Non-legal and other bookings

(Naming, commitment or renewal of vows)

• Non-legal ceremony bookings are accepted on the following conditions:
  • Our standard ceremony script will be shared with You upon our receipt of full payment of fees.
  • The final ceremony script , including any revisions made by You, must be submitted to Us by no later than 14 days prior to the date of Your ceremony.
  • For commitment or renewal of vows, ceremony bookings are accepted on the condition that proof of prior marriage or civil partnership taking place is provided. The ceremony does not give any legal status or rights.
  • For naming ceremonies, ceremony bookings are accepted on the condition that proof of birth is provided. The ceremony does not give any legal status or rights.
  • All fees due are paid no later than three months prior to the date of the ceremony.

Variation

1. These terms apply to Your booking and may be varied only by written agreement between the parties. The terms and conditions on our website may vary from time to time but we will keep a record of the terms that are current at the time that you make your booking. We suggest that you do the same for your records. We shall notify you in writing (including by email) upon any amendments being made pursuant to clause 5.3.

Appendix A - Legal Impediments to a marriage or civil partnership

• Both parties to the marriage or civil partnership must be 18 years or over on the date of their marriage ceremony or civil partnership formation
• Both parties to the marriage or civil partnership must be free to do so, therefore any previous marriage or civil partnership must have legally ended, such as by divorce or dissolution, before a new marriage or civil partnership can be entered into. This includes marriages contracted under a law that permits polygamy i.e. married to more than one person at the same time.
• Neither party can be related to the other by blood, adoption or marriage/civil partnership or surrogacy

The prohibited degrees are set out in the first schedule of the Marriage Act 1949 and the Civil Partnership Act 2004

Further details can be found in The Marriage (Prohibited Degrees of Relationship) Act 1986

Appendix B - Rooms in Sale Town Hall licenced for civil marriages and civil partnerships

TRAFFORD REGISTER OFFICE

Trafford Register Office is a small room within Sale Town Hall which is commissioned as the Designated Borough Register Office and can accommodate the couple and two witnesses only.

Appendix C

REFUNDS FOR FEES FOR MARRIAGES AND CIVIL PARTNERSHIPS

The Booking Fee and administration fees are non-refundable

The Statutory fee for giving notice is non-refundable once notice is given

The Statutory fee for a certificate for a marriage or civil partnership is non-refundable once issued but will be refunded in full where the marriage or civil partnership does not take place.

Full payment is required no later than 2 months in advance of the marriage ceremony or civil partnership formation date.

In the event of a cancellation for Marriage and Civil Partnerships booked to take place at Sale Town Hall or an Approved Venue in Trafford:

Where cancellation is more than 3 months before the date of the ceremony, a full refund of the ceremony fee element will be given along with the cost of any certificates paid.

Where cancellation is less than 3 months, but more than 6 weeks before the date of the ceremony, a 70% refund of the ceremony fee element will be given along with the cost of any certificates paid.

Where cancellation is less than 6 weeks, but more than 28 days before the date of the ceremony, a 50% refund of the ceremony fee element will be given along with the cost of any certificates paid.

Where cancellation is less than 28 days before the date of the ceremony, a £56.00 refund will be given along with the cost of any certificates paid.

The following example is provided for illustration purposes:

In the event of a cancellation for Marriage and Civil Partnerships booked to take place at Trafford Register Office: A refund of £56.00 will be given plus £12.50 for each certificate paid for in advance.