Your Name: Rebecca Goodman

Place of Work: Lambeth Town Hall

Your Job Title: Registration and Nationality Services Manager

Overview of what your role entails:

I manage a team of registrars, registering important life events – births, deaths, marriages, civil partnerships and citizenship ceremonies.

On top of the management side, I also conduct and register ceremonies and appointments.

What makes your place of work so special?

Lambeth has a beautiful town hall with several different ceremony rooms, which have just been newly renovated, so the rooms are stunning, and we’ve got several different venues within the borough, some of which are directly on The Thames.

Lambeth is a large borough encompassing a wide range of areas in South London and as we cover ceremonies across the borough, so it means we offer some ceremonies at really stunning venues.

How long have you been doing what you do:

I started off being a weekend registrar for Lewisham back in 2010 and joined Westminster full time Jan 2016 and Lambeth in January 2024 – so 9 years full time.

Prior experience/jobs:

I did an undergraduate degree in Sociology and Criminology and completed a Masters in Criminology.

Then afterwards I got a job working in an Anti-Social Behaviour team, which lead to the Lewisham job in Corporate Complaints.

As part of my role at Lewisham, one of the things we did was quality auditing in different areas of the council including the registration team, which prior to this role, I didn’t even know existed.

During the audits I became really fascinated with the work the registrars were doing and, when a weekend job came up, I jumped at the opportunity. 

What makes you a good fit for your role?  

I absolutely love my job; I love being part of ceremonies and important milestones in people’s lives.  

For example, citizenship journeys can really catch you off guard with how emotional people can get about receiving their British citizenship.

And of course, for weddings and civil partnerships, I love the romance and joy and being a part of someone’s special day.

When you’re the registrar, you’re so important as the person that helps them fulfil their commitment – but – at the same time it’s not about you.

In some ways, we’re like puppet masters. We’re there, yet we must remain very much in the background, knowing we are not the main stars of the ‘show’.

What perks (if any) are there to your work?

Getting to see inside venues that I would otherwise never get to be in. I haven’t yet explored Lambeth, but in my role at Westminster I got to work inside so many amazing venues in London.

The Ritz, The Dorchester, Claridges etc. that I would never have got to see in my ordinary life. I also love seeing the amazing dresses, flowers and basically being ‘inside’ the ceremonies I oversee.

Can you recall a particularly exciting day or period of your recent work history?

Helping Jude Law register his marriage!

I was also featured in OK Magazine after a celeb’s wedding. Ali Bastian (Strictly, Hollyoaks, The Bill etc) even gave a lovely review of me too and named me in the feature, which was great!

And most recently, which you may have heard about in the news, was the one hundred ceremonies in one day event. This was entirely my Manager Christie’s idea, but it was me who worked out how we could run the day in such a way as to accommodate all of the ceremonies so smoothly – allowing all couples to have a ceremony where they didn’t feel rushed, and of course allowing time for photos on the iconic steps.

It was such an amazing day – the whole team really came together and the energy between us, the couples and their guests was incredible. I was so proud to be a part of it.

And, if you’re feeling brave, do you have any particularly embarrassing or funny stories to tell?

I had a couple getting married and I was struggling to pronounce the bride’s name. It was clear how much I was trying, and everyone was really kind about it, but I kept getting it wrong. Finally, the last time I had to say her name, I got it perfectly right and I got a full round of applause!!!

What are the best things about working in Hospitality/events/service industry?

It’s just amazing to be part of people’s important events. Registering a baby is a rite of passage. Even helping people register a death, so they can arrange the funeral of a loved one, makes you feel satisfied as you know you are carrying out an act of services.

And the worst?

Dealing with people dying. It’s just really sad and can be very hard when, even though you know you’re helping people, it’s just tough to be around the grief.

A registrar has to carry out death bed ceremonies, so although you know you’re fulfilling someone’s wishes and you see how important it is, it’s ultimately the worst part of life….

Covid turned hospitality/events upside down. We are now back in biz – with many challenges still – train strikes, cost of living, staff shortages and the ongoing effects of Brexit. What are you most grateful for, coming back from lockdowns?

Being able to deliver our service again. When Covid stopped all the weddings and other services we do, that was, of course, really hard on people. So it’s just so great that people can have the freedom and ease to be together again, whether in celebration or mourning.

And what do you think we can do/need to do, regarding any challenges your industry now faces?

The cost-of-living crises has affected many people – so we need to make sure our services are available and accessible to everyone.

It’s important to work with people to make sure they can afford to access the services we offer.

We’re non-profit and get no subsidies, but we try hard to keep things as affordable as possible. 

Is there anyone (or several) who you’d like to thank for really helping you along your career journey, or perhaps mentors or someone who’s supported and/or inspired you.

My previous manager, Christie, who was always supportive and always seen my potential. I would say she encouraged me towards my current job and helped my confidence grow.

What’s your best advice for anyone considering doing what you do?

Start off approaching councils to see if they have weekend ceremony work or even look for actual vacancies as every registrar gets full training so you will learn on the job. You must have great attention to detail, be reliable and love people to do this job, but experience can be gained in the role.

As a registrar – how to you feel about photographers and do you have any tips for photographers working with you.  

We love working with photographers because they also showcase what we do.

Working with people who know what they are doing makes everything easier, especially if they work with us to capture the moments.

It’s important to make sure we work together – we’re all here for the same reason and have a service to do well.

We also love to see the photos afterwards.

What do you think is the current state of the wedding market in the UK?

Small bespoke weddings are in and they are lovely. We’ve seen people having smaller weddings now, since Covid and they are much more focussed on the couple.

Where’s a great place/s to take a visitor in London?

Anything by the water for me – The Thames or on the Regent’s Canal.

What travel destination is on your bucket list?

Japan and Fiji….

What’s your ideal Sunday?

Out dancing with my friends – I am a regular on the London swing scenes (which is how me met).

Contact Info

For more information on getting married in the Borough of Lambeth check out the website lambeth.gov.uk/choose-love/book-registrars.