IELTS Reading Exercise 34

Registry Office Weddings

A
On this special day please help us and other couples who are being married or forming a Civil Partnership on the same day by arriving at the register office fifteen minutes before the ceremony. We don't want to rush your ceremony or be forced to cancel it, so please ensure you and your guests arrive on time. Remember there may be traffic delays or a photo call before the ceremony. Please note we cannot guarantee to reach your venue during periods of extreme weather. We will however endeavour to attend as soon as it is safe to do so and regret we will not accept liability for any loss in such instances. We would be obliged if you could take this into account when choosing the venue and date for your ceremony.

B
The ceremony is conducted by the Superintendent Registrar and registered by the Registrar, who is also responsible for ensuring that all information which is to be entered into the Marriage Register is correct on the day. He/she will see you and your partner in private to check the details and will be happy to answer any last minute questions you may have about the ceremony or any of the other arrangements. You will each be asked for the following information: 1. Your full name, age, marital status, occupation and the address of your residence on the day of your marriage. 2. The full name and occupation of your father, and whether he is retired or deceased.

C
Although there are words prescribed by law which you must say, there are various ways of personalising your wedding ceremony. Additional vows may be added after the contractual words and a selection of music is available at the offices if you wish. Alternatively, music which is special to you as a couple or a piece of poetry/prose may be read, although neither must be religious by nature. A booklet containing a collection of verse and music is available at all our Registration Offices. Please discuss this or any ideas of your own with the Superintendent Registrar prior to your wedding day.

D
You will need to ask two people, who may be friends or relatives, if they will witness your marriage. Your witnesses must be old enough to understand the ceremony and their role in it, preferably over the age of eighteen. All they will have to do is watch and listen to the ceremony and sign the register. Should the services of an interpreter be required, please contact the Superintendent Registrar of the district where the marriage is to take place for advice.

E
Once the marriage vows have been exchanged, the Registrar will ask you to check that your details have been correctly recorded in the Marriage Register. Please check them carefully, as there can be problems if errors have to be corrected later. You will both then be asked to sign the Register. The bride should sign in the name she was known by immediately before the ceremony. Your two witnesses will then be asked to sign.

F
Since April 1995, civil marriages have been allowed to take place in other buildings, apart from register offices, that have been approved by local authorities as a suitable venue for civil marriages. These are known as Approved Premises and generally include hotels, stately homes and other historic buildings. A full list of all Approved Premises in England and Wales can be obtained from the General Register Office. Please note that currently the law does not allow for a civil marriage to take place in a private house, in open air, a marquee, or in any other moveable structure, such as a boat or hot air balloon.

G
Many of our Approved Premises are set amidst landscaped and beautiful gardens in which to have your photographs taken. The staff at Approved Premises will be delighted to discuss various arrangements that can be made to make your day really special. To arrange a wedding in an Approved Premise you must first contact the manager or owner of the premises of your choice to make provisional arrangements. You must then contact the relevant Registration Office to ensure that the registration officers are able to attend your marriage on that date and time.

Source: Cumbria Borough Council