Martimonial Music and civil ceremonies

There are certain very important pre-requisites to your music at your civil wedding or partnership ceremony. Most importantly, there can be no music that is in any way religious in nature, or has any religious words in it. 
This is what the General Register Office says:

“Although you cannot incorporate any religious content into a civil marriage ceremony, you may be able to arrange to have individual touches such as non-religious music and/or readings, and for the wedding to be videoed. The superintendent registrar at the register office for the district in which you intend to marry will be able to tell you more about the options available."

If you are getting married, check with your superintendent registrar and check out the General Registrar’s website at:

http://www.gro.gov.uk 

Also worth checking in advance are the facilities that are available in your desired wedding venue. If you were planning on an organist for example, then arrangements have to be made for an instrument and amplification to be set up in the correct location prior to the service. Always check with the wedding co-ordinator at your wedding venue that they know they will have musicians at the ceremony. 

It is possible, though highly unusual, that the Superintendent Registrar will not allow live music in Registry Office ceremonies. You will normally be allowed recorded music. Check with the Superintendent Registrar in charge of your wedding. 

As the civil ceremony is a lot shorter than the religious ceremony, there is less music needed. The hymns are obviously not allowed, although non-religious congregational's could be sung, although this would be unusual in a civil ceremony. 

For your civil ceremony you may decide to have music for the following parts of the service: 
 

• Prelude
• Processional
• Signing of the register
• Recessional

Our suggestions are mostly "traditional" classical wedding music. However, in a civil ceremony anything goes, as long as it has no religious connotation. Feel free to have jazz, pop or folk tunes - whatever you want. Remember though, all the music must be approved by the Superintendent Registrar. 

If you have a favourite love song, then during the Signing of the Register would be a perfect time to hear it, perhaps played by a harpist, maybe your favourite jazz tune played by a piano player. Or maybe a Scottish reel by a bagpiper?