Markenfield Hall - Ripon - North Yorkshire

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Civil Ceremonies

Civil Ceremonies were designed to offer an alternative to more traditional Church weddings – for those who either did not want, or were unable, to marry in Church.

During the Civil Ceremony you will legally become man and wife.

Civil Ceremonies are not as austere as they once were. Your Ceremony can be as simple or

as elaborate as you wish – readings and music can be included making a much longer and more involved ceremony, which also allows friends and family members to become more involved.

Four rooms at Markenfield are licensed for Civil Ceremonies: The Undercroft, The Drawing Room, The Vaulted Study and The Great Hall.

Once booked, you will receive information from the Registrars about the possible wording of your Ceremony – you will even have the opportunity to write some of your own vows should you desire. If you choose to incorporate live music within your Ceremony we can accommodate musicians such as a String Quartet or Medieval musicians within the licensed rooms or a Harpist in the Inner Hall.

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For the Ceremony a table will set up for the Registrars to use. The Registrar stands in front of this desk with the Bride and Groom in front of them – you will face one another, as you make the vows not to the Registrar but to one another. The atmosphere throughout the Ceremony is friendly and relaxed.

You can make the Civil Ceremony as informal or as traditional as you want. Whether the Bride would like to walk down the aisle on the arm of a loved one to see her Groom only as the Ceremony is about to begin, or you would both like to greet your guests in the Undercroft with a glass of something before the Ceremony, it is entirely up to you.

Please note that the Registrars in Harrogate do get booked up some time in advance, so it is vital that you ascertain their availability as well as ours. They can be contacted on 01423 506949. If you live outside the Harrogate area, you can register your intentions with your local Registry Office who will pass on your details to the Harrogate Registrars who will officiate on the day.

All photographs by kind permission of John Furlong

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