You have found the venue and set the date. The legal side of your ceremony is booked separately, so that still needs doing. Couples often book with us and then ask, “How do you book a registrar for a wedding?” In East Sussex, you contact the East Sussex Registration Service directly. Your venue cannot do it for you. There are two bookings to make. One is your notice of marriage appointment, which you both attend in person at a register office. The other is the registrars’ attendance on your wedding day. That second booking is what makes the marriage legal.
Blackstock Country Estate is a licensed wedding venue in Hellingly, East Sussex, approved for civil ceremonies and civil partnerships. Civil ceremonies can take place in the Tudor Barn throughout the year. Between May and September, couples also have the option to marry outdoors in the grounds. The registrars’ fee is separate from your venue hire and goes to the registration service. You can reach them at Eastbourne Town Hall on 0345 60 80 198.
Book your venue first. Once your date at Blackstock Country Estate is confirmed, contact the Ceremonies Hub to book the registrars. Your notice appointment comes afterwards, as the venue details must be recorded on your notice.
Image above by John Scofield
When you are ready to book, call the Ceremonies Hub on 0345 60 80 198. Registrars can be booked up to three years in advance, and you will need to pay the full fee when you book.
For bookings made before 1 April 2027, registrar attendance at a licensed venue costs £760 for ceremonies between 9am and 4.30pm, Monday to Sunday. This rises to £1,020 on bank holidays. Ceremonies starting at 5pm but before 10pm cost an additional £195, while a separate £180 surcharge applies on New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday and Christmas Day. The fee includes the registrars’ attendance, two marriage certificates and one commemorative certificate.
Fees are subject to change on 1 April each year, but you pay the price in place when you book. Changing the time, date or venue at least two months before the ceremony costs £40. Changes made later than this are treated as cancellations. Confirm your date and start time before calling, and check the current licensed venue fees.
Image above by Sussex Media Design
Giving notice is a legal statement made at a register office appointment, confirming that you intend to marry.
You usually give notice in the district where you live, rather than where your wedding venue is located. If you live in different registration districts, you will need separate appointments. You must each have lived in the relevant district for seven full consecutive days before giving notice.
The legal minimum is 29 days before your ceremony, but East Sussex Registration requires at least six weeks and recommends three to four months. If you live in East Sussex, excluding Brighton and Hove, you can use the register office in Crowborough, Eastbourne, Hastings or Lewes. Giving notice costs £46.50 per person, or £63 per person if a Home Office referral is required.
If one or both of you are foreign nationals subject to immigration control, you must give notice together. A Home Office referral can extend the waiting period to 70 days, so East Sussex recommends allowing at least 12 weeks.
The venue and type of ceremony cannot be changed after you give notice. If either changes, you will both need to give notice and pay the fees again.
Check which documents you need before attending your appointment, as they will depend on your nationality and circumstances. All documents must be originals.
You will need evidence of your name, age, nationality and address. You may also need the following.
If you use a UK birth certificate instead of a passport, you may need additional evidence of a parent’s nationality. Some people will also need passport-sized photographs. Check the full East Sussex document list before your appointment.
Image above by Jessica Bevan Photography
Before the ceremony, a registrar will meet with each of you separately for a short interview. One of you needs to be available 30 minutes before the ceremony and the other 15 minutes before. These interviews are a legal requirement. The registrar will check your details and confirm the choices on your ceremony options form. If you do not want to see each other beforehand, mention this on the form.
The ceremony usually lasts around 30 minutes, depending on any personal additions you have chosen. You will need two witnesses who are at least 16, speak English and understand the purpose of the ceremony. They can be any two guests who meet these requirements.
Make sure you and your guests are ready on time. If the ceremony starts late, the registrars may shorten it. If you are not ready within 20 minutes of the booked start time, they may move it to later that day or cancel it if no registrar is available. The booking terms confirm that fees are not refunded if the ceremony is cancelled for this reason.
Image above by Matt Ebbage
Your civil ceremony can still include plenty of personal touches. You choose one of three sets of legal vows to repeat after the registrar, and you can add personal vows of up to 300 words. You can also include up to three readings, each around 300 words or less. Music is usually played as you enter, while you sign the schedule and as you leave.
Your ceremony options form must be sent to the Ceremonies Hub at least one month before your wedding. Include every reading, vow and other addition, as they all need to be approved beforehand.
Civil ceremonies cannot include religious content. This includes extracts from religious marriage services, sacred texts, hymns, religious rituals and acts of worship. A reading, song or piece of music may contain an incidental reference to a god or deity if it is otherwise non-religious, although it will still need approval.
The traditional wording beginning “to have and to hold” cannot be used, even in part, because of its connection to religious ceremonies. You can have a religious blessing afterwards, but it must be separate and can only take place once the registrars have left the room. The East Sussex ceremony guide explains the choices in more detail.
Image above by Ebourne Images
You do not receive your marriage certificate on the wedding day. You, your partner, two witnesses and the registrar sign a marriage schedule, which is returned to the register office so the marriage can be added to the electronic register.
The two marriage certificates included in the registrar fee are posted within two weeks of the ceremony. Additional copies cost £12.50 through the statutory service or £38.50 through the priority service.
Blackstock Country Estate is a licensed wedding venue in Hellingly. We can host indoor civil ceremonies for up to 120 guests in the ceremony wing of the Tudor Barn. After the ceremony, The Granary can seat up to 120 guests for your wedding breakfast.
The estate is set within 70 acres of East Sussex countryside, with in-house catering and accommodation available on site. You can find more information about getting married at Blackstock Country Estate.
How do you book a registrar for a wedding? For a ceremony at Blackstock Country Estate, confirm your date with our team first and then contact the Ceremonies Hub to book the registrars. To arrange a private viewing, call 01323 848 006 or email events@blackstockestate.co.uk.