A couple of months ago I went to a wedding at a registry office. It was beautiful I might add. Some people think that if you have a wedding in a registry office it won’t be as nice as one that you have in a church. I disagree. I think it’s about the couple, and the setting that they choose. Some registry offices have been designed to look absolutely stunning. But not only that some stately homes and manner houses are used instead of churches nowadays and they are just as wonderful as any church. But for me when I go to wedding my main focus is the happy couple. I’m so wrapped up in them – the smiles that they share and all that soppy stuff, that even though I notice the surrounding, it’s more a secondary concern.

When the ceremony was over the couple had to sign the wedding register. This obviously is a legal requirement… but I think at this wedding it was turned into something more “sentimental” rather than legal. The father of the bride had a special wedding gift to give the bride and groom before they signed the register – an engraved pen. He wanted the newlyweds to sign the register with that engraved pen. His main reason was that he had it engraved with a special message to the happy couple – a message that wished them well on their new life together. In his mind by signing the register with this pen – it would seal their happy future together as the ink dried. A lovely thought I must say.

When you go to this couple’s house, the engraved pen has been placed in their hallway by their telephone. There are two reasons for this – when you are on the phone you are always looking for a pen to write down a message and you never can find one! It’s the most annoying thing, yet when you don’t need a pen they appear from everywhere. The engraved pen is a reminder to the couple of the promise they made to eachother. Each time they use it they will perhaps read the message written on the pen – the newly wedded bride claims that it will help them remember the vows they made to eachother and help them not take eachother for granted. A very romantic notion. It’s amazing that such a small gift can create such a feeling in people. But isn’t it the gifts or the experiences that seem insigificant to all others around us that mean the most to us?

Here is a quick insight into the wedding register and it’s history:

A civil registrar ceremony is a non-religious legal marriage ceremony performed by a government official or functionary. In the UK, this person is normally called a registrar. In American jurisdictions, civil registrar ceremonies may be performed by town, city and county clerks, judges and justices of the peace, or others possessing legal authority to officiate a marriage.

In the UK, a civil registrar ceremony cannot include hymns, religious readings or prayers, and the marriage must take place at a registered or licensed venue to be legally valid. Many private premises are licensed to hold civil ceremonies. Couples wishing to marry outside of their area of residence must reside in that location for 7 days and then wait a further 15 days before they may marry. As well as each party to the marriage signing the register, signatures of two witnesses are also required.

In most American jurisdictions, civil registrar ceremonies are subject to the same requirements as religious ceremonies, including venue reservation fees, marriage license fees, and age restrictions. The ceremony may take place in many places, including courthouses, parks, gardens, banquet halls, hotels, and other approved venues. Many venues may also accommodate the reception. Like non-civil ceremonies, the formality and style of the ceremony depend entirely on the tastes of the couple.