What We Have On Offer
There are two licensed spaces at the Lamplight, in which we are able to hold civil marriage and partnership ceremonies:
Main Hall Licensed for 200 people
Derwent Suite Licensed for 100 people
The hirer has access to the room(s) 2 hours prior to the ceremony.
 

 Additional Space
The building also offers use of a number of smaller rooms with a variety of uses: a Play Room to keep children entertained throughout the evening; a mirrored dressing room /wash room, for guests to change, or a separate room to run the buffet in, are other options. This facility incurs an additional charge of £25 per session (morning/afternoon/evening) per room.

Getting What You Want Out Of Your Day
Civil marriages and partnership ceremonies at the Lamplight take place in the afternoon. Standard times are:
1.30 p.m. 3.00 p.m. 4.30 p.m.
Small to Medium Size Weddings
Ceremony, reception, and evening, in the Derwent Suite.
Cost: £200
Larger Evening Event
Ceremony and reception in the Derwent Suite; evening in the Main Hall. Cost: £250/£275
Large Wedding Throughout
Ceremony, reception, evening in the Main Hall.
Cost: £300

Catering
The Lamplight currently reserves the right to supply buffet style catering for up to thirty people, and can provide a variety of menus, including vegetarian and healthy eating. We can also provide buffets that have a multi-cultural influence - Italian, Greek, Indian, Chinese - you ask, we’ll try our best to accommodate!
If your invitation list extends to 30+, there are three options to choose from:
 

• Option 1
  This option allows you to bring in an outside caterer, to cook and serve hot food, at a relevant time(s) throughout the day. Meals usually take place in the Derwent Suite. This arrangement incurs a £50 kitchen hire charge.
   
• Option 2
  This option requires the supply of buffet-style food by an outside caterer, with service being arranged by the venue, for which there is a charge.
   
• Option 3
  This option assumes supply of buffet-style food and service supplied by an outside caterer. Please note: the caterer must ensure the necessary levels of staff.

Celebratory Drinks
As part of the licensing conditions, alcoholic drinks cannot be served in the lead-in to the service. Immediately afterwards, however, and for the rest of your day, the bar will be made available for guests to buy their own drinks, or, we can serve a celebratory drinks round of your choice, while photographs are being taken.
You can then opt to have a drink served to your guests on entry into the room you have chosen to have your reception in, or put wine/Bucks Fizz/champagne or water on the table for them, whilst enjoying their meal. Please ask about our optional drinks menus.
N.B.: If you’d prefer to do your own thing, the Lamplight also offers corkage at £5 per bottle.
The Lamplight is licensed to serve alcohol up to midnight.

How To Book At The Lamplight
Plan a date and preferred time and make an informal appointment to meet with a Duty Officer at the venue, who can show you around the building and give you a clear idea of the quality of facilities and services, we have on offer. He/she will also be able to give you an idea of the costs attached to the different formats of wedding day, so that you can make an informed decision, and get what you want out of it, BUT just as importantly, manage the occasion within the limits of your budget.
Having considered the options and made your decision to hold the marriage/partnership ceremony, and associated celebration, at the Lamplight, provisionally book with us, and then meet with the registrar, as soon as possible, to make sure he/she is available too. The local register office is located at: 7, Thorneyholme Terrace, Stanley, DH9 0BJ. An initial meeting with the registrar can be arranged by getting in touch on (01207) 235849.
Make arrangements with the registrar for your marriage/partnership ceremony only. This will include discussing any music, readings, words or performance, all of which should be secular (non-religious) in nature. It is very important that you agree the actual content of the ceremony, in advance, with the Superintendent Registrar, who will attend the ceremony. You will pay a marriage fee directly to the registrar that will be independent of any charges made by the Lamplight, for facility hire.
When agreement has been reached, confirm your booking with us and pass on any detail agreed with the registrar. From then on, feel free to meet with the Duty Officer at anytime in advance of the day, to discuss arrangements and help us build up, in our files, the same wedding day picture, you have in your mind.
 

Peace Of Mind
Remember...staff at the Lamplight have been trained, and have years of experience, in organising weddings for hundreds of previous customers. Although holding civil marriage ceremonies and civil partnerships is a relatively new venture, we can guarantee that the same customer satisfaction objectives we strive for, in every other service area of Leisureworks, will be at the forefront of what we provide for you, as a couple, on what will be one of the most important days of your life.