Cost of registry office - why so much?!!

Hi is anyone else finding registry office to be a total rip-off?
I was looking at price for saturday wedding and for example kent county council quotes ceremony fee at £435! I've also seen similar prices for town halls in london when you book a slightly larger room (ie to fit 40 guests rather than just witnesses).
I'm really annoyed with how everything in England is such a rip-off, my brother got married in town hall in France, really beautiful building with massive room and it was pretty much free.
It seems like such a lot for what you get, I can totally understand paying that much for a church wedding where you get a really pretty building, long service, room for all your guests, choir, bells etc but with registry office you get none of these things.
Sorry for the moan just don't understand how hiring a room for about 40 minutes should cost £500.
Does anyone know if it is possible to have your ceremony at a licenced venue like a hotel and then your reception elsewhere? My mum reckons they would not let you if you were not also having your reception with them.
How much are you all paying for registry office?
Maybe its just in the SE that it costs so much?
x x

Thats mad im getting married i a registry office i sotland and its only costing me $200 so england has got it wrong some where.
You can get it all done in a licenced venue and have the whole thing in the same place but it does tend to cost alot more.

Everything seems to be cheaper in Scotland, it's so unfair!!

But at least its warmer in england lol

Scotland's great I like how they also allow humanist weddings legal anywhere I wish England did that.
It's really frustrating because we're on a budget and it takes out such a big chunk of it. I stupidly assumed registry office would be the cheapest poss option
x

I'm not sure this applies everywhere. One option we were considering was the registry office in Bath and that was less than £90 for a Saturday wedding or £223.50 for the larger room. Bristol on the other hand is more expensive and Weston-Super-Mare is even cheaper than Bath.

When I last checked locally (I live in the North East of England) it was about £105. That was in about 6 months ago, checking on behalf of a friend planning to marry, so it evidently varies around the country. Earl and I married in a Church.

I married my first husband in a Register Office* and in those days (1981) it was £10 to book the ceremony and a further £15 on the day.

Bamba xx

* PS - why oh why do people say "Registry Office" it's actually a REGISTER OFFICE - check the board outside the building if you don't believe me!

That does seem pricey for a Register office - i always thought it was cheaper doing it there than having it at a hotel/other venue. We are paying about £300 for ours (we are having it at hotel) and that includes the £60 notice fees.

Remember though when you get married in a hotel, you will probably have to pay a room hire charge - ours is £495. So it probably would still be cheaper to get married at the Register Office.

x

i'm marryin in scotland on a sat, getting married in the hotel and the registrar is charging £416. luckily the hotel doesn't charge a room hire for marrying in their hotel

xx

Peterborough Registry office do it for £40 for the small room, they have had a larger room built which is £220 Friday and Saturday £170 the rest of the week

Sorry bambagirl I didn't realise the correct term was register office I thought it was registry because that's what I'd heard people say, now I know!
From the sounds of it the cost varies lots from town to town but London and Kent seem to be particularly expensive.
x

Hi there,

That does seem expensive for a registry office, that's more the price you pay for a registrar to come out to a venue. I'm paying about £475 for a registrar to come to our venue in Scotland, it's a Sunday which also makes it a bit more pricey. I doubt a venue would let you have your ceremony there without the wedding breakfast at least as this is where they make their money. Would you consider having your ceremony and wedding breakfast in a venue and then your evening reception in the venue you have presumably already chosen? Although if you did that it will cost even more than what you've been quoted for the registry office! Perhaps you should ask them why it's so expensive?
xx

[Modified by: MrsDMDavies2b on March 14, 2010 02:08 PM]

Bambagirl - I believe it can be called both and my local one says 'registration office' outside, I'm not sure it really matters does it?
xx

were getting married in Bristol registry office paid 60.00 when we gave notice & its 43.50 (something like that) on the day so nice & cheap

Thats massively expensive ... in Hampshire it costs £150 at the registry office, we are only paying £420 to have the officiant come to our venue on a Saturday in the summer!!
Must just be a Kent thing as opposed to whole of South East x