COVID-19:
Marriages and Civil Partnerships
Latest COVID-19 updates
- We have not set a date for ceremonies to resume yet but we expect them to restart around mid July (if they will be allowed by law).
- We have not reopened ceremony booking yet and all ceremonies to the end of July remain cancelled. August ceremonies are expected to run as close to a normal schedule as possible.
- Please do not contact us at the moment. When we begin rebooking, an update will be published on this page. We will be prioritising couples that had their ceremonies cancelled in March and couples whose ceremonies were already in our diary for July. We will then move on in month order.
- We will not be opening up wider booking until all customers that had their Haringey ceremony plans disrupted (including those that gave notice but did not get a chance to book) have been invited to book or rebook.
- We expect ceremonies to resume at George Meehan House before they do at other locations across the borough.
Everyone is working really hard to get ceremonies up and running again as quickly, fairly and safely as possible. See Government guidance on small ceremonies and the COVID-19 pandemic (external link).
Our Earlham Room is expected to have a capacity of seven people (couple + five guests) and our Woodside Room is expected to have a capacity of 14 people (couple + 12 guests) when ceremonies resume. We can only confirm that a couple and a witness each will be guaranteed access. Others will be allowed to attend when agreed in advance and allowed by law. Screening of all people attending will be taking place. Haringey will be following government guidance to maintain two metre social distancing where possible. Please note that any photographer, child or wedding planner will count towards guest numbers.
We will update this page when we are in a position to begin rebooking and as more information becomes available.
Thank you for your patience.
Urgent needs only
Please bear with us while we interpret information provided by the General Register Office and the Government about the resumption of Weddings and Civil Partnerships.
We are currently only assisting customers with the most urgent needs.
This means:
- If you or your partner are seriously ill and not expected to recover (see Urgent Marriages and Civil Partnerships)
- Have a ceremony booked elsewhere before 16 August 2020
- Have a marriage/civil partnership visa due to expire before the end of August 2020 and have a Haringey connection and you have not already given Notice of Marriage / Civil Partnership
Further updates will be released once we have had time to interpret any information and directions given to us. Please do not contact us if you do not fit into one of the above categories. If you do fit into one of the above categories please send us an email briefly outlining your situation - don't forget to include your contact details: registrars@haringey.gov.uk
Please refer to this page and GOV.UK (external link) for the latest information.
No timelines for when wider service provision will resume can be given at this time, we will move as quickly as we can.
Please note that nothing can happen without Government approval first, so please proceed with extreme caution at this time if you are planning and paying for a ceremony.
We understand
We understand that many of you are anxious and have marriage and civil partnership visas that are going to be expiring in the near future or other needs to get married or form a civil partnership quickly. Please understand that we can only work within the Government guidelines and we cannot perform your ceremony at the moment. Having a marriage or civil partnership visa due to expire after 31 August 2020 is not considered urgent unless you have a ceremony booked and still scheduled to go ahead before 16 August 2020.
We are currently not allowed to do ceremonies by law unless you or your partner are seriously ill and not expected to recover. Thank you for your understanding and please only contact us once you see that we are taking ceremony bookings again.
When services resume
When services do resume please work on the basis that ceremony sizes will be small for an indefinite period and may be much smaller than the maximum number of people permitted by law. We expect our largest Woodside Room to hold no more than 14 people including the couple. Expect that only close family and close friends will be able to attend, possibly from limited household groups.
It is highly likely that Haringey Register Office will resume ceremonies at George Meehan House before they resume at churches and outside venues (approved premises) - such as banqueting suites.
Please work on the basis that weddings away from George Meehan House will have the same restrictions as those at George Meehan House. Venues will be required to provide action plans for ensuring the safety of everyone attending and COVID-19 Secure status. To find out more about Government recovery plans please visit Our Plan to Rebuild: The UK Government's COVID-19 recovery strategy on GOV.UK (external link).
We are not currently aware of any Government plans to extend Notices of Marriage / Civil Partnership, so please work on the basis of current law where notices are valid for 12 months from the date notice was given and new notices need to be given if a venue changes or if any new ceremony date is more than 12 months from the date notice was given. Unless a new ceremony date is imminent we advise people to wait before giving new notices of marriage / civil partnership and monitor the media and this website regularly.
Important: All ceremonies including Civil Partnership signings between now and the end of July 2020 have been cancelled and payments refunded back onto the cards used to pay.
If you have not had a refund please contact us by sending an email to registrars@haringey.gov.uk
For now please do not come to George Meehan House as we will be unable to see you.
Civil partnerships are now for all and not just same sex couples. Form your Civil Partnership at The Earlham Suite in George Meehan House or at another venue in Haringey.
- Haringey Marriage Venues
- Choosing your venue
- Checking Registrars are available to conduct and register your Wedding or Civil Partnership
- Make an appointment to give Notice of Marriage / Notice of Civil Partnership
- Our Venues
- Further information
Please also read the rest of this page including The Marriage and Civil Partnership Process in 5 Steps (PDF, 316KB).
Haringey Marriage Venues
We are now at George Meehan House, N22 8YX and not at the Civic Centre
The Haringey Registration and Citizenship Service and Haringey Register Office are now based at:
George Meehan House
294 High Road
Wood Green
London N22 8YX
George Meehan House is a fully refurbished Italianate style house in the middle of Woodside Park, just a few minutes up the road from the Civic Centre but a million miles away in terms of peace and tranquillity. The house delivers a fusion of traditional and contemporary design. Read more about the history of George Meehan House.
The Earlham Suite
The ceremony suite at George Meehan House (formerly Woodside House) is called The Earlham Suite. The Earlham Suite consists of The Earlham Room and the larger Woodside and Westbury Rooms. Please note that restrictions on guest numbers and social distancing are likely to significantly impact on guest numbers in any room used for a ceremony. Fees are based on the room used and the day of the week, not the number of guests attending.
Please note that the venue given on a Notice of Marriage cannot change, and so it is important that notice is given for the correct venue. More information about giving notice can be found on the Notice of Marriage page.
Statutory Fee Ceremonies
Every register office is required to offer a ceremony for the statutory fee - this is currently £57 as of April 2020. Demand for these ceremonies is high and waiting times can be six months or more, but if your ceremony is small with just the couple and a witness each, you are happy to wait and want things very basic (no photographer or personalisation), then this may be the ceremony for you.
These ceremonies only take place on Tuesdays at 10.20am. If you would like to use this service, please give notice of marriage/civil partnership for The Earlham Suite and mention that you would like a wedding or civil partnership for the statutory fee at time of booking. If more than the two witnesses attend the ceremony, then the standard Tuesday ceremony rate will be charged.
Please note that every register office is required to offer a ceremony for the £57 fee (£46 and £11 certificate fee), and you do not have to have a ceremony where you live.
Arranging a wedding or civil partnership requires time and preparation. We have compiled a document called The Marriage and Civil Partnership Process in 5 Steps (PDF, 316KB) to help your planning of a wedding or civil partnership run smoothly.
The five steps to meet the legal requirements for planning a civil wedding/partnership in England and Wales are:
- Choosing your venue
- Checking Registrars are available to conduct and register your wedding or civil partnership
- Make an appointment to give Notice of Marriage / Notice of Civil Partnership
- Giving Notice of Marriage / Civil Partnership - directs to new page
- Have your ceremony within 12 months of the date Notice has been given.
Choosing your venue
A wide range of venues are available including hotels and banqueting suites in addition to traditional venues like Register Offices and Churches*.
Once you have decided which venue you would like to marry in, make a provisional booking with the venue. The venue can be located anywhere in the world although we cannot always assist you if you are having a ceremony outside England or Wales. Book your venue in plenty of time to avoid disappointment and be fully aware of all of the costs involved before committing to a venue.
In Haringey we have a choice of venues including our own Earlham Suite at George Meehan House.
- Please see our venues section below for more information about The Earlham Suite, and
- The Approved Premises page for details of other venues in Haringey
*A couple can only marry in a church or religious building if it is one or both partners usual place of worship or if one or both partners live in that district. Special arrangements apply to marriages in the Church of England.
Checking Registrars are available to conduct and register your Wedding or Civil Partnership
Important: we are not booking weddings and civil partnerships at the moment. Speak to the Register Office in the area where you are having your legal ceremony to ensure they are free on the date and at the time you want your ceremony. Registrars can get booked out a long way into the future, so do not assume people will be free to do your ceremony on the day and time that you want.
Haringey Register Office can be contacted by calling 020 8489 2605, or by sending an email to registrars@haringey.gov.uk
Make an appointment to give Notice of Marriage / Notice of Civil Partnership
COVID-19 update
Please note: we have been advised by the General Register Office that we should not take any Notice of Marriage/Civil Partnership bookings until further notice - unless it is for a Registrar Generals License commonly known as a death bed ceremony.
This means that even if you have a ceremony booked elsewhere we cannot currently take your Notices - unfortunately this means your ceremony may not be able to go ahead as planned.
This page will be updated regularly with the latest information.
If you need to cancel a booking, please use the link you were sent when you made your booking, email registrars@haringey.gov.uk or call 020 8489 2605.
Notice must be given in order to get married.
- Payment starting at £35 per person will be taken at time of booking. This fee is non refundable unless your appointments are cancelled or changed at least two clear working days ahead. Additional fees for people subject to immigration, Saturday appointments (if booked online or if fee not collected at time of booking), late or early appointments will be collected locally
Please note: if your preferred date is not available, the booking system will offer the next available date. Saturday Notices are available for some but not all Saturdays.
Unless one or both parties are subject to immigration control, Notice must be given to the district where you both live. To give Notice you must establish residency. Residency is established after you have lived at an address for seven clear days. If coming from abroad the date a person arrives in the UK and the date Notice is given is not taken into account. For example if you arrive on the 1st of the month the earliest Notice can be given would be the 9th of the month.
When giving Notice both parties must present evidence of their name, age and nationalities. This is normally done by presenting a passport. Some ID cards can also be accepted.
- Please see our documents needed to give notice of marriage page for more information
Proof of address is needed and evidence the parties are free to marry, such as divorce documents if applicable. Please note that most overseas divorces require clearance from the General Register Office. We will submit your documents to them on your behalf. This process normally takes at least three weeks and clearance is not always granted.
Evidence of immigration status is not required but if one or both parties are subject to immigration control you are advised to seek advice from the Home Office to ensure you comply with the immigration law side of getting married.
Once Notice has been given, the Notice goes on public display for a period of at least 28 clear days and possibly 70 clear days. Please see the Notice of Marriage and Civil Partnership page for more information.
Forming a Civil Partnership
We offer a number of ways to form a Civil Partnership. Ceremonies can take place in our Earlham Suite, at one of our approved venues. If you would like to keep things simple and keep costs down you can simply sign a Civil Partnership Schedule in front of your two witnesses. Signings take place each Tuesday morning at 10.20am for the statutory fee of £57 per couple (as of April 2020).
Our Venues
We offer a number of venues to meet all tastes and budgets. Our range of approved premises includes Alexandra Palace and Bruce Castle Museum. Social distancing rules, limits on guest numbers or other restrictions may apply to any ceremony.
Visit our approved premises page for more information.
The Earlham Suite
Our ceremony suite at George Meehan House is called The Earlham Suite. The house is located in Woodside Park N22, between Wood Green and Palmers Green (Wood Green on the Piccadilly Line is the nearest underground station and Bowes Park is the nearest national rail station). George Meehan House has two main ceremony rooms, the smaller Earlham Room and the larger Woodside Room. We are currently unable to confirm seating capacity once ceremonies resume but we do anticipate significant reductions in the number of people allowed at each ceremony, social distancing and other restrictions are also likely to be in operation.
Please confirm availability by calling 020 8489 2605 before giving Notice of Marriage for our venue. Currently all bookings to 31/07/20 have been cancelled and no new bookings are being accepted.
Parking and Public Transport
Parking:
George Meehan House - parking at George Meehan House (post code N22 8YX) is limited to a wedding car and pick up/drop off parking only, we recommend that people arrive using public transport. Parking restrictions apply on side streets from 11am to 1pm.
London Underground and National Rail
Wood Green Station on the Piccadilly Line is less than 15 minutes walk away and Bowes Park Station on the Moorgate to Hertford Line is about the same walk.
Buses:
A number of buses including the 121, 329, 141 and 232 stop outside the gates to George Meehan House.
Being based in Wood Green we benefit from excellent connections by bus to all parts of North London and beyond.
Payments and fees
Details of fees for all of our weddings and services can be found on the Register Office Fees page.
All ceremonies must be paid in full at least 3 months before the ceremony date. Fees are subject to change until paid in full. We reserve the right to cancel ceremonies not paid in full by the due date.
Further information
If after reading these pages you require further advice or assistance please get in contact:
- Tel 020 8489 2605 or
- Email registrars@haringey.gov.uk
We will be happy to assist you with organising your special day.
