The wedding on the registry office is a legal act with a defined framework.
This form means that the marriage ceremony at the registry office is considered by many bureaucratic act and not considered a romantic ceremony.
Many bridal couples are therefore also planning a church or free wedding. Because here the possibilities for individual elements are greater.
But also the civil marriage can something very special will. In this post I would like to show you how this can be done.
Important: In any case, coordinate with your registrar which of your wishes can be implemented. There are big differences here.
This post was also published as a podcast episode: 002 – registry office: 10 ideas for your festive wedding ceremony
1. Registrar of your choice
Did you know that your civil marriage can take place at any registry office in Germany? You have to get in touch with the first registry office of your choice put in touch. When registering for the marriage, you then specify your desired registry office. This registration must be made at the registry office of your place of residence.
It may not be possible for the registry office responsible for you to implement your wishes:
- The registry office is very busy or, for other reasons, takes little time for the wedding ceremony or the preliminary talk.
- You do not like the registrar or you do not respond to your wishes for the ceremony.
- Etc.
It is best to inquire in advance about your experiences with the registry office. If you don’t like it, you can switch to another registry office. Please note, however, that some registry offices are so busy that they can only trust local residents, for example.
2. Special place
When you choose a registry office, you not only decide on the person who will carry out the wedding ceremony, but also on the location of the wedding ceremony. A beautiful location can make your wedding a festive atmosphere to lend.
But maybe you don’t like the premises of your registry office or there are bans on photography, throwing flowers or music. If this is the case, you have various options.
Many registry offices now have branch officesin which they perform marriage ceremonies. These can be special or larger premises. In most cases, the wedding ceremony in a branch office costs an additional fee.
Another possibility is a Location of your choice to rent and to ask the registrar to have a wedding on site. The condition for this is usually that the hall is in the same place as the registry office. Again, there is usually an additional charge.
If your registry office does not offer any of these options, you can think again about point 1 of this list.
3. Marriage on the weekend
Typically, a civil registry office takes place wedding during the week instead of. Weddings are often only possible in the morning.
If you want to celebrate your civil wedding with family and friends, this time frame is of course not ideal. However, some registry offices offer the possibility (for a fee) of having the wedding ceremony in one Friday afternoon or one Saturday to let take place.
4. Personal Words
There are prescribed elements in the design of the civil marriage. You can find out more about this in the article “How the civil wedding ceremony works”.
But the wedding speech can also personal words contained about you. However, this is handled very differently by registrars.
Some have prepared speeches that they use for the wedding ceremony. Others take the time just before the wedding to get a few personal details from you. Others, in turn, conduct detailed introductory talks in advance and tell stories during the wedding ceremony your personal story.
And not only the registrar can speak personal words, but also herself. This is also possible at a civil marriage, e.g vows to plan
It is best to find out how your registry office handles the whole thing. If you don’t like it, go back to point 1 on this list.
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5. Traditions and rituals
Even if that ring exchange or the bridal kiss are often seen at the registry office, these are not a fixed part of the wedding ceremony. Here you can decide for yourself whether you want to integrate these elements or not. Both traditions add a more festive touch to a wedding ceremony.
If your registrar is willing to do this, you can also integrate other rituals. Here you will find 35 wedding rituals for an unforgettable wedding.
6. Groomsmen
Nowadays are used for civil marriages no witnesses needed anymore. But it has a beautiful symbolic power when two important people testify to your marriage with a signature.
By the way, here you can find out what you should consider when choosing your maid of honor and which tasks your maid of honor can take on.
7. Atmospheric music
If you are already familiar with my blog, you probably know how important I find music for the wedding. Music creates something that words cannot always do. She arouses emotions. And that’s exactly what you probably want for your wedding: A romantic mood.
It is particularly atmospheric when you integrate live music into your wedding ceremony. But songs from the tape can also be nice for moving in, exchanging rings or for moving out.
As with all points on this list, it is best to clarify whether music is allowed at the wedding ceremony and if so, in what form. It is best to ask whether the appropriate technology is available.
In this article, you will learn how to create a festive atmosphere with the right wedding music.
8. Festive decoration
With the right one decoration you can still get something out of the dustiest registry office. Flowers, rose petals, candles and the like can enhance a room and make it look more festive.
Some registry offices decorate the wedding hall themselves. Especially when several weddings take place in the registry office in a row, there is often not enough time to decorate yourself.
If you can’t bring your own decorations, there are still options: You can definitely bring a nice family book, a romantic ring pillow or wedding wands.
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9. Elegant registry office outfit
In principle, you can appear very casually at the civil wedding. So if that suits you and you want to get married the same way, that’s absolutely fine. (In that case, I would inform your guests so that nobody feels overdressed)
But if you are not planning another wedding and you would like to fulfill your dream of pompous wedding dress want to realize, then that is also possible! You can also give your wedding that certain something and a little more festivity!
By the way: With a (small) bridal bouquet you feel even more like a bride.
10. Moving In, Moving Out & Flower Children
You can also have a classic wedding ceremony at a civil ceremony Bridal procession and a bridal handover install if you want. Your guests can also stand guard while you move out of the registry office together (to music). You could have both accompanied by flower children, provided this is permitted.
11. Additional tip: Celebrate after the registry office!
Actually, there should only be 10 tips, but this tip does not refer directly to the civil marriage, but to the time after.
Do you see your civil wedding as more than just a bureaucratic act? Then it would be a shame if you and your guests parted ways immediately after the wedding. Depending on your budget, taste and time, you can plan the following program items after the wedding ceremony – as with a free or church wedding:
- champagne reception
- Coffeecake
- Lunch or dinner together
- wedding party
- Bridal couple shooting (you can also do it before the wedding)
If there is only a limited number of guests in your registry office, you can also invite other guests to these subsequent celebrations.
With your family and friends, this wedding day will definitely be something special!
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Conclusion
A civil marriage is a legal act. But with a few creative ideas or one or the other additional investment, you can also make something very special out of this wedding ceremony.
tips for you
- Before you decide on a registry office, think about what things are important to you for the wedding ceremony.
- With these criteria you can then check which registry office suits you best.
What do you think?
How do you plan your civil wedding? Would you like to give the wedding ceremony a romantic note or is it more of a bureaucratic act for you and the romance follows in the church or free wedding ceremony?
Image by Wedding Photography Minneapolis from Pixabay – Pixabay License
