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Renfrewshire Community Plan 2008 - 2017 Civil marriages
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This webpage will help you plan your civil marriage ceremony and explain the legal requirements . For information on religious marriages, please contact the registrar in the district where the marriage is to take place.
Booking
- Civil marriages may take place Monday to Saturday at the registration office or Monday to Sunday at approved venues within Renfrewshire.
- You can book up to one year in advance, and you must pay a non-refundable booking fee.
- For marriages planned within three calendar months we must receive all relevant documents and fees when you make the booking.
- Civil marriages may now be conducted at approved venues of your choice (outwith Registration offices) upon application.
- Witnesses must be 16 years of age or older.
- By law you only need two witnesses (normally your best man and bridesmaid). However, you can have other bridesmaids and so on in your total number of guests.
- Please tell the registrar what your plans are.
- If the bride wants to be escorted into the marriage suite, you should tell the registrar at least one day before the ceremony. The registrar will then give advice when the bridal party and guests should arrive.
- If the bride does not want to be escorted into the marriage suite, the bridal party should arrive 15 minutes before the scheduled time and the guests should arrive 10 minutes before the scheduled time.
- In either circumstances the person carrying out your marriage ceremony will be available to direct the bride and groom to the appropriate waiting area.
- If you want, you can have your marriage ceremony video recorded. You will be issued with guidelines regarding photographs and video use.
- You should tell the registrar before the ceremony what your wishes are for video and photographs.
- After your marriage you can have photographs taken in the marriage suite.
- You must arrange the video and photographer yourself.
- There is a car park at the back of the Johnstone registration office and to the rear of Renfrew Registration Office but there are no car parking facilities at Paisley Town Hall . At weekends, free parking is available at the Paisley marriage suite.
- Please note that the top deck car park at Renfrewshire House that has access to the Marriage Suite is not suitable for large limousine style bridal cars. Please discuss any requirements with the local registration staff.
Accommodation
- Paisley Town Hall - (Alexander Wilson Suite or Loggia Suite) - Please contact the Paisley registrar for information.
- Paisley Registration Office - A new purpose built marriage suite has been developed at Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley and is adjacent to the Customer Service Centre. The marriage suite seats 64 (including the bridal party)
- Johnstone Registration Office- The marriage suite seats 48 (including the bridal party).
- Renfrew Registration Office - The marriage suite holds 28 (including the bridal party). If you expect more guests (maximum 200), you can ask to book the committee room in the Town Hall.
- Approved venues - There are a number of Renfrewshire hotels which already have approved status for the conduct of civil ceremonies. You can see a list of approved civil ceremony venues in the Renfrewshire area by using the link on the right hand side of this page. Alternatively, you can apply to have the venue of your choice approved specially for the occasion. Contact the council's licensing section on 0141 840 3498 for a chat about the application process.
- We provide music and silk flowers at all registration offices. If you want your own music you should discuss this with the registrar before the day of the marriage. You can arrange to see each marriage room before your wedding day.
- Please note, all our premises are smoke free.
- Paisley Town Hall, Paisley, Johnstone and Renfrew registration offices have disabled access and toilets. If disabled guests are coming to the ceremony, you should tell the registrar beforehand so that seating arrangements can be made.
