Marriage and civil partnership

Coronavirus (COVID-19) – marriages and civil partnerships

From 13 July 2020, Thurrock Register Office is accepting appointments for notices of marriage and civil partnerships.

If you had already booked an appointment, we will contact you to arrange a new date and time. If your ceremony is due to take place before September 2020, please call us to discuss and arrange an appointment. We will resume notices for later dates in due course.

From 4 July 2020, civil ceremonies can take place. We are currently prioritising ceremonies that had been booked to take place in the Register Office, Lacey Room or Hawthorne Suite of the Thameside Complex between March and July. We will contact couples in due course to provide guidance and new terms and conditions before rescheduling your ceremony, should you wish to.

If your ceremony had been due to take place at one of our approved premises and you wish to change the date, you should email register.office@thurrock.gov.uk. If you are keeping your original date, we will contact you in due course to provide further advice and guidance.

You must not come to the Register Office if you or anyone in your household has symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19). All visitors must follow government social distancing guidance and safety requests from staff.

Approved premises in Thurrock

It is possible to be married in any approved premises in England or Wales, regardless of where you reside. Go to GOV.UK: Civil marriages and partnerships – approved premises list .

The following approved premises are all located within the Thurrock Registration Area.

Thurrock Register Office rooms

Hawthorn Suite ceremonies have:

  • seating for up to 70 guests
  • a choice of music
  • a choice of ceremony wording
  • the option for readings or poems

Lacey Room ceremonies have:

  • seating for up to 12 guests
  • a choice of music
  • traditional ceremony wording

Register Office ceremonies have:

  • facilities for only the couple and 2 witnesses
  • traditional ceremony wording

You don't need to have a ceremony if you are forming a civil partnership.

Thurrock Register Office
Thameside Complex, Orsett Road, Grays, RM17 5DX

: register.office@thurrock.gov.uk

Phone:

  • 01375 372 822 – birth or death registration
  • 01375 375 245 – marriages or civil partnerships

Opening hours:

  • Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm – all services
  • Saturday morning – ceremonies only

Our emergency out-of-hours contact service can be used for:

  • emergency death registrations for timely burials in line with religious or cultural practices
  • emergency marriages or civil partnerships for terminally ill residents.

Thameside Theatre

The Thameside Theatre is now licensed for ceremonies. Enhanced facilities include:

  • luxurious seating for up to 300 guests
  • foyer and bar area
  • bespoke catering available
  • amazing lighting and backdrop possibilities with technical staff expertise
  • front of house staff
Thameside Theatre

: 0345 300 5264

: thameside.theatre@thurrock.gov.uk

Other approved premises

There are several other approved premises in Thurrock, including: