3 Easy Steps: How to Book my Lake District Wedding
By CAROLINE LANGHAM
All your questions answered
A question I get asked a lot by couples who enquire with us is “What do I do next?” or “How do I book my Lake District wedding?”
It isn’t just about booking a venue. The venue is just the place. You also need to book the Registrar and other crucial suppliers. Don’t worry, help is at hand! Here’s a summary of the steps regarding ‘How to Book My Lake District Wedding’…
1 Book the Wedding Venue
Booking your Lake District wedding venue comes first before you can book and plan the wedding!
My Blog “How to Find the Perfect Small Wedding Venue” explains more about booking the venue. When you finish reading here, click the link and find out more.
2 Book the Registrars
Once you’ve selected the Lake District wedding venue of your dreams, the next step is to secure your Registrars. They are two friendly professionals, employed by the local Council. They travel the county visiting various venues and marrying people – what a lovely job!
The Kendal-based Registrars will come here, or to your chosen venue, and officiate your wedding ceremony. Some people prefer an independent celebrant, and this is an option. However, most couples wish to be married legally at their chosen Lake District wedding venue.
Once your wedding venue is booked, contact the registration service in the county of your wedding venue. For example, Kendal Registration Services officiate your legal ceremony at Cote How. To book, contact Westmorland and Furness County Council’s registration services department. The Registrars arrive an hour before your ceremony starts.
We have a handy step-by-step guide with their contact details. This is sent out on booking, so if you have missed yours, please ask for a copy.
The Kendal Registrar’s contact telephone number is 0300 373 3300.
The fees for booking the registrar can be found here: REGISTRAR FEES
Your wedding venue will point you in the right direction and explain which registration services they use in their particular area.
After booking, send a copy of your provisional confirmation from the Registrar team to your venue to confirm that the date and ceremony time agreed between you, the Registrars, and your venue are correct.
3 Giving Notice of Intent - The Legal Bit
Sometimes referred to as “Giving Notice to Marry”, this is time-sensitive and MUST be done in person. The Notice lasts for 12 months and must be given at least 29 days before your wedding date.
For example, if your wedding date is October 12th, you must give Notice after October 12th of the year before, but before September 12th of the same year.
You should be free to marry and provide full documentation at that meeting in your relevant district.
For more information see the Cumbria Documentation Requirements as a guide
Your Notice is carried out at your LOCAL registration services where you both live. Use this handy postcode checker – FIND YOUR LOCAL REGISTER OFFICE
You may already know your local council offices or where to register births, deaths, and marriages. Contact your local Registration Service and book an appointment in person. They offer advice about relevant documentation to take to the appointment. If you are divorced, now is the time to dig out that “Decree Absolute”!
A ‘Notice to Marry’ appointment establishes that you are legally free to marry and intend to marry each other on a given date and time at a particular venue.
Your local Registration Service performs legal checks and will communicate them to Kendal Registration Services. You don’t need any paperwork on your wedding day, as the Registrars already have that information. They go through a few professional checks in your interview before your wedding begins.
The Council has an excellent section on their website for Planning Your Wedding.
So it's as easy as 1 - 2 - 3!
If you follow the above steps, you can’t go wrong. Problems occur if your venue is not privy to communications that you make with the registration services, either at Kendal or at your local town hall. So you must communicate this information to your venue so everybody has the same booking details. Imagine planning for the wrong time or day!
Other Wedding Services to Book
Having booked your registrar, or celebrant, don’t delay in hiring a photographer (if you want one), and other wedding suppliers, such as videographers and beauty stylists. They usually do one wedding a day, so securing the date is key. You can also arrange flowers and a cake, but these are less time-sensitive as most suppliers do more than one wedding in a day
To help with choosing photographers, we have a dedicated page on our website showcasing a variety of photographers and Cote How weddings, with links to their websites.
I’ve also written a blog called Choosing the Best Wedding Photographer For You.
Suppliers Links:
Photography by our recommended photographers
Flowers By: in House
Registrars: Westmorland & Furness Council – Kendal Office
Venue Styling By: Caroline@CoteHow
If you would like to read a few more of my “Wedding Planning Tips” head over to this dedicated blog category all about wedding planning, or find out more about our Fun and Relaxed Exclusive Summer Weddings in the Lake District.
If you have any other questions about wedding planning, please comment below.
Take care, and we will hopefully meet soon!
Caroline
