Wedding fair and open day at register office

Rochdale Register Office stage their first Wedding Fair on Sunday 13 September.

Rochdale Register Office will throw open its doors next month and invite people to the first ever Wedding Fair at the Town Hall.

The free event will take place on Sunday 13 September from 11am to 4pm.

Exhibitors will include leading wedding suppliers, who will be showcasing everything needed to make the big day extra special.

Visitors will be able to take a look inside the Register Office, view the ceremony room and find out more about the services available.

Many other parts of the stylish Grade 1 listed Town Hall will be available to view including the famous Great Hall, adjacent to the landscaped Packer Spout gardens – a picturesque destination for wedding photographs.

Every hour from 10am there will be guided tours of the Victorian Gothic building. (Last tour starts at 3pm)

You’ll be able to feast your eyes on bridal collections and outfits to entice the Groom, Mother of the Bride and Bridesmaids during a catwalk fashion show performance by ‘Brides of Rochdale’ at 1pm.

The Roche suite ceremony room is traditionally decorated and furnished in keeping with the elegance of the magnificent building. The room is used for a number of ceremonies including weddings, civil partnerships, citizenship, and naming together with renewal of vows. These can now take place every day of the week since Rochdale became the first local office to offer Register Office ceremonies on a Sunday.

Registration and Celebrant Services Manager Neil Anderson said they do everything they can to make sure that a wedding day or civil partnership is special: “People have the option of making it more personal by adding extra words in the form of vows, poems or readings and choosing their own music. During the day you’ll be able to find out more about other Civil Ceremonies such as naming and renewal of vows.”

A wide range of exhibitors will be at the event including Howard Nilsen Photography, Browns Handcrafted Cakes, Shutters Videographers, Brides of Rochdale, Denis Hope, Simply Flowers, Hire Society – chauffeur driven car hire, Panda Print, Bomac Balloons, Sonya O’Brien Commemorative Plate Design and Serenity Health and Beauty.

Drinks and snacks will be available from the café. Any Register Office ceremony booked on the day will receive 10% off the ceremony fee.

During the day Registrars will be on hand to give advice on the legal requirements for planning a ceremony. Getting married or forming a civil partnership is a special occasion and choosing the right location for your ceremony is just as important added Neil: “The beautiful town hall is a perfect location. We have long been famous as a marriage venue, but not everyone is aware of the other services. Whether you want to have a civil partnership, naming ceremony to welcome a child in to the family, or a renewal of vows ceremony to celebrate an anniversary, we can help make it special.”

The event will be officially opened by the Mayor and Mayoress, Councillor Keith Swift and Ms Susanne Etchells.