Marriages and Civil Partnerships
Latest COVID-19 updates
- England is now in a National Lockdown - see National Lockdown Stay At Home guidance on GOV.UK (external link).
- Ceremonies in January and February are now cancelled, we will be contacting affected couples. We may need to cancel ceremonies booked in March 2021.
- Weddings and civil partnerships will only take place in exceptional circumstances (e.g one or both partners has a serious illness and is not expected to recover).
- Please contact us at registrars@haringey.gov.uk if you believe that your marriage or civil partnership needs to take place under exceptional circumstances during the current public health emergency.
- If you have an immigration issue, such as a visa that is due to expire, you need to discuss your exceptional need and make arrangements with the Home Office via Gov.uk (external link) for exceptional assurance and not the register office
- Where ceremonies do take place they will only happen with the couple and a witness each (four people in the building).
- You and your witnesses are expected to get a COVID-19 test the day before or on the same day of your ceremony - test results are received in less than an hour.
Find out more on how to get a COVID-19 test in Haringey - To cancel a ceremony please email registrars@haringey.gov.uk and call us on 020 8489 2605 / 1775 to change for a later date.
- We do not recommend booking or rebooking for before 01/05/21 and we will not accept any new booking other than in exceptional circumstances for before 01/04/21.
- See the Government's COVID-19 Winter Plan (external link).
- Unfortunately, it is not possible to personalise ceremonies conducted by Haringey Register Office - including being interviewed separately or walking down the aisle.
- See the latest government guidance on small weddings and civil partnerships during the pandemic (external link).
- All wedding and civil partnership guests must wear a face-covering unless they are exempt - this is a legal requirement
- For further information see the latest government guidance on GOV.UK (external link)
- Please call 020 8489 2605 if you wish to book a marriage or civil partnership ceremony from 1 April 2021 onwards (our lines may be busy).
Our Earlham Room has a capacity of seven people (the couple plus five guests) and 14 people (the couple plus 12 guests). We will be following government guidance to maintain two-metre social distancing where possible.
The maximum number of people allowed in a room at a ceremony party is:
- Tier 3: 15 people
- Tier 4 and National lockdown: 6 people (4 people in Haringey)
This number may be reduced at any time and is subject to:
- social distancing rules
- local decisions made by Haringey Council, and
- space being available.
Reducing the spread of COVID-19
All visitors to George Meehan House must use hand sanitiser on entry to the building and wear a face covering. The couple having the ceremony are not required to wear face coverings during the ceremony. We recommend that people carry hand sanitiser and their own pens to use when signing documents.
You or members of your party will not be able to attend George Meehan House or another venue where Haringey registrars are present if:
- you or members of your party believe that they have COVID-19 or have been exposed to COVID-19 over the past two weeks. Key symptoms include:
- a high temperature
- a new, continuous cough
- a loss of, or change to, your sense of smell or taste
Please see more guidance on GOV.UK (external link)
- you or members of your party believe that anyone in their household (not just family) or anybody you or they have been in close contact with have any of the symptoms of COVID-19.
- you or members of your party are currently feeling unwell or are caring for somebody who is currently feeling unwell with an illness harmful to others.
- a medical professional has advised you or a member of your party to not attend an appointment or ceremony.
- you or members of your party are supposed to be in quarantine or in an area subject to local lockdown.
Please ensure that you have contact details for any person attending an appointment or ceremony with you in case you need to contact them about COVID-19 at a later stage.
Cancellation and rescheduling of ceremonies
- Ceremonies may be cancelled or changed. A full refund is given if the ceremony is cancelled at least 30 days before the ceremony date, otherwise any deposit paid will be lost.
- If one of the partners in the ceremony, or a person having a private citizenship ceremony, needs to cancel because they are ill, a full refund of the ceremony fee or rescheduling of the ceremony will be arranged. Medical evidence may be required.
- The coronavirus pandemic has not ended and the COVID-19 virus is still present in the population. It may be necessary to cancel and/or reschedule appointments and ceremonies at short notices due to changes in government restrictions, or the need for you or our staff to self-isolate.
- Please also read the following Important ceremony information (PDF, 110KB) for full details relating to ceremonies in Haringey.
Civil partnerships
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
Do not give Notice of Marriage/Civil Partnership for any Haringey venue without first getting our agreement in principle to attend. Please email registrars@haringey.gov.uk to request this. You must still proceed with caution at this time.
Only three Haringey venues (The Earlham Suite, Regency Banqueting Suite and Bruce Castle Museum) are currently approved for Haringey staff to attend a COVID-19 Secure ceremony.
The Haringey Registration and Citizenship Service and Haringey Register Office are now based at:
George Meehan House
294 High Road
Wood Green
London N22 8JZ or 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 significantly impacting 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 10am. 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*.
Remember that from Monday 28 September 2020 the maximum number of people allowed in any ceremony room is 15 couple (2) + 13 others) and six people in Tier 4 (couple (2) + witnesses (2) and registrars (2) = 6. This is only where there is space and social distancing can be maintained. Venues will be expected to have at least two-metre social distancing whilst current restrictions are in place.
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
Please check that registrars are available and able to carry out your ceremony on the date and time that you require before you exchange any money or give Notice - you cannot recover your money or change your notice afterwards.
Please note that we are currently not attending most venues in Haringey as we do not have COVID-19 Secure plans and risk assessments for them. Staff will not be allowed to attend venues until we are satisfied that they are safe. Please also carry out your own COVID-19 awareness checks. We expect venues to provide the necessary documents for us to approve them, but this is not a certainty.
The Earlham Suite at George Meehan House is fully up and running, but ceremonies could still be disrupted or cancelled at short notice due to the ongoing Pandemic and/or other related issues.
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
Notice must be given in order to get married or form a civil partnership
- 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 may apply. Additional fees may be collected at the time of appointment or by somebody calling you before the appointment
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 and to make a Notice appointment.
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. Our Earlham Room seats seven people including the couple and our Woodside Room seats 13 including the couple. Social distancing and other restrictions are in place.
Please confirm availability by calling 020 8489 2605 before giving Notice of Marriage for our venue.
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:
We will be happy to assist you with organising your special day.
