Lewes Register Office is in Southover Grange, a house built in 1572 by William Newton, partly from the stone of the old Lewes Priory. The diarist John Evelyn spent much of his childhood here. It’s Grade II* listed, it sits in its own public gardens, and it’s one of the loveliest places to have a register office wedding in Sussex. It’s also about half an hour from me in Eastbourne.
The ceremony rooms
There are four, and the one you choose depends mostly on numbers:
- The Winterbourne Suite. Up to 15 guests. First floor, with no lift, blue and silver, looking over the gardens.
- The Evelyn Room. Up to 20. Ground floor, bright, with sofas and a window seat.
- The Newton Room. Up to 48. A carved fireplace and red and gold chairs.
- The Ainsworth Room. Up to 58. A central aisle, two chandeliers and views onto the terrace.
For photographs, the bright ground-floor rooms are the easiest, and the Evelyn Room in particular. A window seat and a sofa give you somewhere natural for the family pictures.
Where the portraits are
Southover Grange gardens. Right outside the door. They’re public gardens run by Lewes District Council, so photographs are fine, but there will be other people about on a sunny Saturday.
The town. Lewes is steep, old and full of character: twittens, flint walls and timber-framed houses. Anne of Cleves House is a short walk away in Southover.
The castle. A walk up the hill, with views over the town to the Downs. Worth it if you’ve got the time and sensible shoes.
For most register office weddings, the gardens and one or two streets nearby are plenty. Twenty minutes of portraits and you’re off to lunch.
Practical things
- The address is Southover Grange, Southover Road, Lewes BN7 1TP.
- There’s no parking at the register office itself. There’s a paid car park at the school opposite, or it’s a ten-minute walk from Lewes station.
- Ceremonies are booked through East Sussex County Council, up to three years ahead.
The pictures on this page are from other weddings, to give you a feel for the style.
How I photograph a register office wedding
Quietly. Register office ceremonies are short, often twenty minutes, so I’m there before you arrive and I stay out of the registrar’s way. Afterwards it’s confetti outside, the family pictures you actually want, and fifteen or twenty minutes of portraits in the gardens or the town.
I cover register office weddings by the hour, and the gallery is ready within 24 hours. You can see how the hourly coverage works on my Eastbourne Register Office page, and there’s more about weddings across the county on my Sussex wedding photographer page.
Questions couples ask
How many guests can you have at Lewes Register Office?
Up to 58 in the Ainsworth Room, 48 in the Newton Room, 20 in the Evelyn Room and 15 in the Winterbourne Suite.
Can you take photos in the Southover Grange gardens?
Yes. The gardens are public and run by Lewes District Council, and photographs are fine. They’re right outside the register office door.
Is there parking at Lewes Register Office?
No. There’s a paid car park at the school opposite, or it’s a ten-minute walk from Lewes station.
Tell me your date and I’ll let you know straight away whether I’m free. Get in touch here. For more East Sussex weddings, see my Sussex wedding photographer and Brighton wedding photographer pages.
Barrie
