What is a celebration ceremony?
Celebration ceremonies allow you to celebrate how and where you want with a bespoke ceremony. Ideal for those:
- Holding a ceremony in an unlicensed venue or location
- Who married abroad and now want to celebrate at home
- Celebrating a special anniversary
- Wanting to include spiritual or religious rituals
A celebration ceremony has no legal status, and will not result in you and your partner being married or having formed a civil partnership. A celebration ceremony allows you to choose where you hold your ceremony, and what you can include, without the legal restrictions. Celebration ceremonies can be combined with a legal ceremony if required.
Where can we hold a celebration ceremony?
Celebration ceremonies can take place anywhere* in East Sussex. Yes, even in your back garden. Whatever your perfect day looks like, whether that be a seaside ceremony, a woodland festival, or a garden celebration, let us help make it happen.
*subject to a satisfactory risk assessment, excluding religious and political premises.
East Sussex is home to some fantastic venues, including those listed on our Venue Finder page. You can also hold your celebration ceremony at any one of our four Register Offices; in Crowborough, Eastbourne, Hastings, or Lewes.
Booking your registrars
Once you have decided where and when you wish to hold your celebration ceremony, contact us to book your Registrars.
If your ceremony is taking place at a Register Office the room and registrars will be booked during the same process. If your ceremony is taking place at another venue or location, you will need to contact the venue directly to book them and then contact us to book registrars to attend. We take bookings up to three years in advance and require payment in full on booking.
How much does it cost?
| Ceremony at an East Sussex register office or licenced venue | £430* |
| Ceremony at an unlicenced venue in East Sussex (excluding places of worship) | £530* |
*Includes VAT
A licenced venue is one that has already received approval from East Sussex Registration to hold civil marriage and civil partnership ceremonies.
All unlicenced venues will be subject to a risk assessment by East Sussex Registration.
Combining a legal ceremony
If you require the addition of a legal marriage or civil partnership ceremony, than as above you will need to decide where and when you would like this to take place and check availability. For a civil marriage or civil partnership ceremony to be legal it must take place in a Register Office or Licensed Venue. Your legal ceremony can take place on the same day, or on the days prior to or following your celebration ceremony.
The fee payable for a legal ceremony will depend on where and when you choose to hold it. All fees can be found listed on our fee pages.
For further information about legal ceremonies see either Civil Marriage Ceremonies or Civil Partnership Ceremonies.
Contact us now to book your Celebration Ceremony.
| Arranging a ceremony will require you to share some personal information with us. Refer to our Privacy Notice for details about how and why we use your data. |