Registrar mess up

Sorry you had that experience and hope you had a lovely wedding day regardless. It is not standard/required practice for witnesses to be announced, and it is not standard practice for people to be called up to take pictures by a registrar - never seen either of these happen at any ceremony, both civil and religious. In fact most Registrars probably operate with the 'unplugged ceremony' approach as the norm where only the professional photographer is permitted to take images in the ceremony room, so the Registrar would not necessarily be involved in co-ordinating those shots. Registrars and the exact format of the service will vary depending on where you are based, and it's quite common to fill in some kind of form or have a sign off discussion to clarify specifics of your service and accommodate any requests. So unless you included requests about witnesses and photography on your form/in discussion these wouldn't be expected practice from every registrar. The interruption however, would understandably be unnerving and you will have been looking forward to the kiss announcement! You might want to wait for the video - I'm sure most of your footage will be really beautiful and hopefully help you reflect on the great aspects of the day - and with a bit of time and distance you may find it becomes less upsetting. You may then want to feedback to them about the impact the disruption had on your experience, and request an explanation/apology to understand why the disruption occurred.

I've never been at a wedding where witnesses were announced or where people were invited to take pictures during the ceremony either. If you are referring to pictures taken by your photographer then it would be down to him/her to liaise with the registrar to make sure the right photos were taken.

If you were looking forward to the 'you may now kiss' announcement, then I can see you might be disappointed to miss it, but at most weddings I've been to, the couple have barely waited for the announcement, and certainly wouldn't have let the absence of it stop them kissing.

I think it's an annoying niggle rather than a major problem though - in your place, I wouldn't mention it.

The interruption does sound unusual but I would of thought that it would not of put them off.

They don't really say "may now kiss the bride" but they build up to the moment which then becomes a natural place for you to kiss, the last words are something like this.

You have given your vows to each other in the presence of myself and your witnesses, and so it gives me great pleasure to hearby announce that you are now Mr and Mrs xxx and then they start to clap ---- and that is your moment to kiss, some people do and some don't.

I have never seen the witness announced.

As for asking people to come up and take photos- they don't do that either but out of respect to the other guests who usually seem to be biting at the bit to get some then I usually announce it after I have done my bit.

Did you have an official photographer ?