Witness Code of Conduct

Last updated: September 2026

All witnesses using the Need A Witness UK platform are expected to follow this Code of Conduct. It is intended to support professionalism, reliability, discretion, and a positive experience for customers, registrars, ceremony officials, venues, and other attendees.

1. Professional Behaviour

• Be respectful, polite, calm, and discreet at all times
• Dress appropriately for the ceremony and make reasonable efforts to follow any customer dress-code preference provided for the booking
• Follow lawful instructions given by registrars, ceremony officials, and venue staff
• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries
• Keep customer and booking information confidential except where disclosure is necessary to fulfil the booking or required by law

2. Punctuality

• Plan to arrive in good time before the ceremony, normally at least 10–15 minutes early unless otherwise advised
• Plan your travel appropriately and allow for foreseeable delays
• Notify Need A Witness UK immediately if you are running late or encounter a problem that may affect attendance

3. Communication

• Respond promptly to important messages relating to accepted bookings
• Remain reasonably reachable on the day of an accepted booking
• Inform Need A Witness UK as soon as possible about any issue, emergency, or change that may affect your ability to attend

4. Reliability

• Only accept bookings you reasonably expect to be able to attend
• Once you accept a booking, make every reasonable effort to fulfil it
• Unexplained no-shows or serious/repeated late cancellations may result in suspension or removal from the platform
• Repeated lateness may also lead to suspension or removal

5. Ceremony Requirements

Requirements for acting as a witness can depend on the type of ceremony, registrar or ceremony official, venue requirements, and applicable law. You must only accept and attend a booking where you are capable of acting as a witness for that ceremony.

• You must be able to understand what you are witnessing
• You must be able to follow the instructions of the registrar or ceremony official
• You must be able to provide the information and signature reasonably required for the ceremony documentation
• You must tell Need A Witness UK promptly if you become aware of any reason you may not be able to act as a witness

6. Conduct at the Ceremony

• Follow the reasonable and lawful instructions of the registrar, ceremony official, and venue staff
• Do not disrupt the ceremony or interfere with the couple, guests, or staff
• Do not attend while impaired by alcohol or drugs
• Be respectful to customers, guests, registrars, ceremony officials, and venue staff
• Do not take photographs, video, or audio recordings unless specifically requested or clearly permitted

7. Platform & Customer Information

• Do not use customer contact details for unrelated personal or commercial purposes
• Do not privately negotiate alternative witness-service arrangements arising from a platform booking
• Do not share personal or booking information unnecessarily
• Use customer information only as reasonably necessary to fulfil the accepted booking

8. Suspension or Removal From the Platform

Need A Witness UK may suspend or remove access to the platform where reasonably necessary, including for:

• serious or repeated unprofessional behaviour
• no-shows, repeated lateness, or repeated late cancellations
• misuse of customer information or the platform
• providing materially false or misleading information
• conduct that creates a reasonable safety, legal, or reputational concern