Venues

Ceremonies at County Hall – Bellair large ceremony room and outdoor lawn

When should we arrive?

You should arrive around 15 to 20 minutes before the ceremony. If you are arriving separately that is fine, just stagger your arrivals.

The ceremonial car will be let through the barrier and the registrars will then meet you, your partner should wait with the guests for the registrars.

The registrars will need to speak to you privately to check the details to be entered in the register. You will also be asked to give your mother and father’s full name and occupation.

Where can guests park and what is the cost?

Entry to the visitors’ pay and display car parks are via Topsham Road. There are 96 spaces, which includes two disabled spaces. This is normally sufficient, but parking cannot be guaranteed, and you should allow yourself enough time to find alternative parking if necessary.

The charges are:

up to 30 minutes: free
between 30 minutes and 1 hour: £1.10
between 1 hour and 2 hours: £2.20

These charges operate from Monday to Friday, between 8.00am and 4.00pm and are subject to change at any time. Please note that County Hall reception staff are not able to provide change for the parking meters. Payment may be made using cash, by phone or using the downloadable pay to park app.

As previously mentioned, the ceremonial car will be granted access through the barrier. This is also true for any disabled guests that are holders of a Blue Badge. For this we will need you to email us the registration plate number, along with your booking reference number, no later than two weeks before your ceremony. Emails should be sent to ceremonies-mailbox@devon.gov.uk.

Please note that access cannot be granted if the registration plate details are not sent.

Where are the toilets?

There are toilets within Bellair. Gentleman’s toilets are downstairs and ladies upstairs. The disabled toilets are located near the disabled entrance.

What time should guests arrive and where should they go?

Guests can start to arrive from 30 minutes before the ceremony. If the ceremony is in the ceremony room they should follow the ceremonies signs from the main reception to Bellair.

We have included a map to show you which way they need to walk from the car park and signposted the disabled entrance. We do ask that guests do not enter the room until the registrars advise them to.

For ceremonies on the patio, we ask they make their way there following the path marked on the map, again we ask that they do not seat themselves until the registrars advise to.

A map of the County Hall campus amended to show additional information for registrars purposes.

How many guests can we have?

The ceremony room holds up to 60 plus the couple. This number must include any children, babies, photographers, or videographers you may have.

The outdoor patio can hold 60 also but it only has 20 chairs. Any guests over this number are asked to stand.

Can we decorate the space?

As we do multiple ceremonies each day at County Hall, we do not allow the decoration of the ceremony spaces and this includes adding extra seating for the patio. The spaces will have a few planters or dried floral displays in place already.

Is there an aisle?

There is an aisle in the ceremony room. For the patio, the guest’s chairs, the registrars chairs and your chairs will all be on the lawned area on one level. You will be interviewed in the ante chamber and then will be able to walk down the aisle through your guests.

Can we have music and how is it played?

Yes, you are welcome to have music but it must not be religious in any way and needs to be approved by us so all the tracks you wish to use must be stated on your preference form.

We do not provide anything to play music on so we recommend that you bring a Bluetooth, battery operated speaker and a have a guest operate the music on a phone from their seat.

Can we have confetti?

Confetti is permitted provided it is bio-degradable, please note it is only allowed in the grounds, not the rooms.

Can we have drone photography?

Drone photography is not permitted within the grounds of County Hall.

What happens if it rains?

If you have booked your ceremony for the outdoor patio and the weather is inclement, the ceremony will be moved into the ceremony room. The registrars will make this decision on the day.

Can we write our own script?

All our registrars write their own ceremony scripts so they are all different and cannot be adapted. We do allow the inclusion of up to three readings, to be read by friends or family members. These will be placed throughout the ceremony in the order you add them to your preference form.

You may also have short personal vows for after the ring exchange, again we will need to approve these so they will need to be added to your preference form or emailed to us.

How long do we have the space for?

Ceremonies take between 25 and 30 minutes.

Are there areas for photos afterwards?

There are lots of spaces within the grounds of County Hall for photos, we just ask that you are mindful of other ceremonies that may be taking place after yours.