Marriages and ceremonies at Waltham Forest Register Office

Marriage Room

We hope to make your wedding or civil partnership ceremony a day to remember. The following information will answer any questions you may have. If you require further information at any time, please call the office for advice. We aim to provide a high quality, value for money service, which meets your needs and requirements.

Forest Suite

Almost all marriages at the Waltham Forest Register Office take place in our newly decorated ‘Forest Suite’. You can also have your civil partnership ceremony here, although legally you are only required to sign the Register.

The room is beautifully appointed and can hold a maximum of 40 people, although 30 is a comfortable number with the majority of guests seated.

Personalise your ceremony

Although fresh flowers and gentle background music are provided, you are welcome to personalise your ceremony, by bringing your own floral arrangements. You may also enhance the content of the ceremony by providing your own music and we are also happy for you to include additional words or poetry/prose, providing the enhancements chosen are of a non-religious nature.

The Superintendent Registrar and Registrar will guide you through the ceremony – there is no need to learn the legal words. The marriage ceremony and legal words must be said in English. If either of you do not speak English, you must bring an interpreter to the ceremony.You will be required by law to bring at least two guests who will act as witness to the ceremony. They must be 16 years of age and able to understand the nature of the marriage ceremony.

Please be on-time!

Please help us and other couples who are marrying on the same day, by arriving at the office at least 15 minutes prior to your appointed time. You will receive an appointment booklet confirming this time and all the other details that you need to know about your wedding day. If you are unable to attend on the day arranged, please contact the Register Office at the earliest opportunity.

Photographs and Filming

Your guests are welcome to take photographs after the ceremony. If you wish to video record the ceremony then please inform the Registrar so that the cameraman can be directed to a suitable position. In the interests of safety, any recording may only be made using the lighting available in the Register Office and the equipment used must be battery operated.

There is an attractive garden at the rear of the building, which provides an ideal setting for photographs of your wedding day or ceremony.

Confetti

Please remember that there are probably other couples using the facilities on the same day and in order to keep the Forest Suite room looking tidy, please ensure that your guests wait until they are outside before they throw confetti. If possible please use bio degradable confetti and party poppers should not be used. Be careful of coloured confetti as this can stain clothes!

Car parking

There is a small car park to the rear of the building and we do ask that this car park is restricted to the use of bridal cars only. There are no parking restrictions on a number of the roads in the area immediately surrounding the Register Office.

Other premises

You may now choose to have a civil marriage or partnership ceremony in any Register Office in England and Wales or any approved civil marriage/partnership-approved venue. At present in Waltham Forest we have the following approved venues:

If you wish to marry in Waltham Forest at the Register Office or in one of our approved venues, you must contact the Register Office as soon as possible to make a provisional booking to secure the date and time you require. Having made your provisional booking there are legal formalities to complete prior to your marriage ceremony