booking registrar

That's strange. I've booked ours 22 months in advance and it hasn't cost anymore. I hate that each county has different rules!

I guess it depends how important the time of day you get married is to you? I would probably pay the extra £50, but if money is an issue then I am sure they will still have most times available at the year mark. Does your registrar allow provisional bookings then you could confirm on your year mark?

I don't know about the notice Q though I'm afraid.

I have just managed to find some info. We live in worcestershire and you have to pay a 50 deposit to book but then an extra 50 if its more than a year in advance. The notice of marriage is valid for 12 months only so will have to be done separately and costs 35 per person x

It's crap what they charge. We got charged a £25 non-returnable fee to pencil the date in! X

Think we are living in the wrong county lol

Hi,

I've booked my registrar but haven't given notice yet. We are getting married in a different county to where we live so I have booked and then will give notice sometime in the next 3-6 months. The notice has to be on display in your local registry office for at least 17 days before you get married.

I couldn't book more than a year in advance but I went online on the morning of the year countdown and booked as I was worried about not getting the time I wanted.

X

Hi there

You can't give notice until a year before the wedding as you've found out but I'd advise you to pay a deposit & secure your date & time asap! It's a bit pants that it costs extra the further in advance you do it but it's worth it. I booked 18 months before our wedding & there were only 2 times left. I had to get married at 11.45am & it was a bit of a rush getting ready!

Hi

Same with me. I booked registrar about 18months in advance and there was only 2times I could choose from. I'd book it ASAP

Oh dear im getting really worried now. Can you book online? The earliest I can book is fri as thats payday. Did you ladies book forma sat wedding or a weekday? Im getting married on a fri but not sure how popular that would be x

Also we are getting marriedin worcester about 30 mins from our home in Redditc. They both classed as worcestershire I think.does it matter which office I go to book if you cant do it online xI

I'm not sure about booking online I'm afraid. I went for a Friday as it worked out cheaper with the venue. I also quite liked the idea of still having the whole weekend ahead of us after the wedding. You can book over the phone so google your nearest office, call them Monday & see what they say x

We have booked our registrar 18 months in advance and paid a £100 deposit which I had assumed would go towards the final price but now actually not sure that it will, ? can't believe it's so expensive to get a registrar to go out to a venue, think I'm in the wrong business; nearly £500 for what will probably amount to an hours work?!

Miss toffee totally agree. Its ridiculous how much they charge for an hours service. We have to pay 100 also for deposit. 50 comes off the balance of registrar fees but the other 50 is a non refundable booking fee for booking before 12months. Its silly x

Reading the rest of the posts I'm beginning to think mine might be really cheap! Ours is £45, it's on a Thursday but it is literally just to register the marriage (2 witnesses, no rings or fancy clothes) then we are hiring an independent celebrant to conduct what we consider to be our real ceremony on the Saturday. Overall we are saving around £300 by doing it this way

Definitely much cheaper to do it at the registry office cat in a teacup! Don't know why it's so much more for them to go out to venues though? Arrghh I'm annoyed now because the letter says "Amount paid: £100 non refundable deposit" before listing the fees, made it even more expensive than I thought!

Cost me 100 but have booked the regitrar this morning and we have the time we wanted!! Woo hoo. So excited. That is the venue, tog and regitrar booked now. Invites next. Happy planning now x

Scully I think its different requirements in different counties. In Worcestershire you can book registrar up to 2 years in advance but cant give notice until 12 months before wedding as notice is only valid for a year x

Myself and my OH are still yet to give notice. I am booked in for November (3 months to the wedding date, so i can get my passport form signed) and OH is booked in for December (1 and half months to the wedding).

Seems every county is very different. We paid the booking fee, then the actual fee then we will pay when giving notice. They had no problem with us giving notice at different times or my OH giving its so late.

Did you managed to get booked ok in the end aluvbug? I'm a Worcestershire Bride and we have booked our ceremony venue for April 2015. After booking I had a call regarding booking our Registrar, but they did say I could leave it until 12 months before to save ourselves the extra £50. I assume they are not concerned about our date and time being available if they would say this?! We are getting married in a Registry Office. Not sure whether to pay the extra £50 just for peace of mind.

The fees are set by the local authority and that's where your fee goes to as well. The registrars are prob on around £11 p/h

Yeah didn't actually think it all went to them! Still seems a lot though!

We did ring and book a date with the registrar. She let us save the date before we got paid so that it wouldnt be taken up but we have since changed our minds about a registrar.

Originally, we were to be married at the pear tree in worcester but we felt we would rather have the more weddingy feel and have a church.

Also, we needed to limit guest numbers to 40 day and 80 evening at the pear tree and we wanted a lot more.

We have now booked our church for 4th oct 14. With a new reception venue in redditch. Very happy x

I agree that they're so expensive for what it is they do! We booked ours a couple of weeks ago for June 2016 and had to pay £595 including £150 non refundable deposit. Had to sit down when I heard the price! It's not as if you can shop around for somewhere cheaper though but at least we have the time and date we want.

I would book it sooner rather than later, it's worth it for everything to run smoothly and for you to not ring up in a couple of months and find you can't have the time you want

Thanks for posting this aluvbug I am in Worcestershire too and was wondering about this!!! We have a registrar who is a friend so need to check with them but the notice will have to wait til August if it's only valid for a year!

It's annoying having to wait when you are raring to go and also being charged more for being enthusiastic!!!!

Totally agree. Its annoying when you are keen to get the ball rolling and book things. Even if it is 2 years in advance. You shouldnt be penalised and made to pay more for being organised.

Another reason we opted against a regitrar in the end was the amout of money. For what we would pay to a registrar to do an hour tops of work, we could pay the same to our beautiful local church and have a lively service for longer with more friends and family to join us.

Have you booked your registrar yet x

Exactly! I just want everything sorted and in place but have to wait which is a pain in the bum! I dont see how it makes a massive difference itll be the same paperwork at the end of the day!

And not yet but it is a friend of my mums so she is going to get the info for me when she sees her next xx

We've decided to go ahead and pay the extra £50 for advanced booking. It just didn't feel official until the Registrar is booked. My OH said it's worth it if it saves me 6 weeks of worrying! ?

It did pain me a bit, knowing what that £50 could go towards but hey ho I am happy now I know it's sorted. I have to say, everytime I have dealt with the Worcestershire Registry Office they have been so friendly and helpful. ?

The non refundable deposit or booking fee makes people think twice about booking and gives a sort of commitment. There are only so many times available on a certain date and so once they are booked up other couples have to be turned away. The deposit helps to cover any losses made as a result of couples wanting to book so far ahead and then not getting married. Sometimes a couple don't let the registrars know they have cancelled and this is only discovered by contacting them wanting to know why they haven't given notice or letting them know that the final fee is due. Often, this could be only 2 months before. This has meant other couples have been refused that date and time and often this could then result in empty slots in diaries and no income. Deposits are paid for other services such as florist, venue, tog. Registrars are no different.