Registry office..are we-aren't we?! HELP!

tizhimi

First of all. I am not happy. I hate weddings at the best of time. Now its mine I'm a begrudging bride and bitter all the way. Yesterday... I was happy. Happy happy happy. We changed our wedding from 11.30am to 3.30pm in writing, over the phone and also in semaphore at the registry office in Sheffield where we are getting married.


(reason being so we didn't have to feed 100 people twice, tight but hey ho - its my money and I'll stamp my feet as much as I please if its coming out of my cheque book)

"Oh yes, thats fine" said the nice lady over the desk. "No problem at all!"

LIES LIES LIES! All lies!

We had a voicemail on the landline when we got in a few hours later saying "nuhuh - you aint allowed to get married in the afternoon because the registrars go to venues out and about in Sheffield. Sorry"

Now, forgive me for being a grumpy very annoyed and awful person but... if that was the case how come
a) the lady on the phone said it was fine
b) the lady in the office said it was fine
c) no one at any stage told us we couldn't get married in the afternoon in the registry office. Ever. Full stop.

It has been changed in the wedding booking book. I know because I saw her change it. No one else is getting married that day yet.

If anyone can advise what to do (my poor mother laughed her head off because its the only thing we have booked - I'm an event manager so its a very boring walk in the park arranging a wedding compared to work with a budget of a whole shiny 50pence)

I'm very annoyed that there isn't the same message coming out of the registry office, surely the staff should know important things like that? I can't do anything until they open on monday but want to go in armed with facts instead of the fury of all the gods.

Tizhimi

tizhimi

Can anyone advise what I aught to do or say?

harley1

Hi, I'm sorry to hear that you are having trouble.

Is there a website or anything you can check to see if this is mentioned. Or is there any chance you can find someone else who has been married there in the afternoon. Friends, family, friend of a friend, client you've arranged wedding for in past?

Sorry, it's not really something I would know about but didn't want to read and run.

Best of luck though, hope you get it sorted out.

xxx

tizhimi

Aw thanks for your reply. My clients aren't cheap skates (like me) and have paid for proper venues instead of the el-cheapo registry office! As for anyone else who has gotten married there, I honestly don't know anyone who's gotten married there. We've gone through all the paper work and looked on the Sheffield website and there isn't any info saying you can't get married on an afternoon, it just says the legal blerb that you have to get married between 8am and 6pm.

Oh well, thanks again for your reply Harley1.

Mojisola

I don't think they're saying it's not legal to get married in the afternoon, just that they schedule other venues in the afternoon, but if you saw them change the booking in writing, they should honour your arrangements.

never_enough

Or if they stick to their guns maybe you could get them to change the date to one that they can do an afternoon wedding?

tizhimi

T minus one hour and thirty mins until they open. I can begin the harassment then! I know its not illegal to get married then 8am - 6pm is the legal time frame) however I need to go and book everything, ASAP as I really want a certain venue. Ce la vie!

Any advice would be much appreciated guys x

Oldernotwiser

tizhimi wrote: »

T minus one hour and thirty mins until they open. I can begin the harassment then! I know its not illegal to get married then 8am - 6pm is the legal time frame) however I need to go and book everything, ASAP as I really want a certain venue. Ce la vie!

Any advice would be much appreciated guys x

Tell them that you've already booked this (and everything else) based on your confirmed booking with them. Tell them that they'll be liable for the associated costs as well!

tizhimi

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Tell them that you've already booked this (and everything else) based on your confirmed booking with them. Tell them that they'll be liable for the associated costs as well!

Do you think we could get away with this....?

Tell me I'm a bad person but I was thinking about getting event insurance (even though I'm doing the event through my job to get a discount and covered for 99% of things anyway) and then if they say no I have legal umph on my side.... Would it be fraud getting wedding insurance knowing that there may well be a disagreement in an hour and a half if I do it online now?

duchy

I do remember when I got married we were told the latest time to get married was something like about 12.30 for the same reason -they have to attend other ceremonies out and about.
We however only fed our guests once despite the lunchtime time-we had a sitdown meal in the afternoon and didn't have an evening function. We didn't want one.
No-one seemed to mind-family who travelled some distance were happy to wave us off on our honeymoon (we left from the reception officially to go straight to the airport) and spend time with the rest of the family at their local homes catching up. And if anyone did mind well 1 I didn't hear about it and 2 I was OUR wedding we did it our way. The invitations were very clear about the times-so no-one came expecting an evening function too

EDIT Posted with you-Yes it would be fraud and yes anything done on line would be date and time stamped and easy to prove when it was taken out so won't work.

Oldernotwiser

tizhimi wrote: »

Do you think we could get away with this....?

Tell me I'm a bad person but I was thinking about getting event insurance (even though I'm doing the event through my job to get a discount and covered for 99% of things anyway) and then if they say no I have legal umph on my side.... Would it be fraud getting wedding insurance knowing that there may well be a disagreement in an hour and a half if I do it online now?

I'm not sure about the insurance and I doubt that you could actually claim anything from them but I certainly would say that you've already made arrangements for the rest of the day rather than that you're waiting for them to sort this out.

Surely lots of people would have gone straight out and booked everything else (including paying deposits) as soon as the wedding venue was finalised.