THE cost of getting married at Caerphilly council’s Ty Penallta House is set to jump by more than 100 per cent for certain days.

At a meeting of the cabinet this week, councillors approved proposals to increase the charge for marriages and civil ceremonies at the Register Office at the building.

Currently, the statutory charge for a ceremony between Monday - Saturday is £40.

Under the new pricing scheme, weddings held Monday to Thursday will stay the same, but ceremonies on Friday will double and the cost of a wedding on Saturday will be £100.

A report prepared for the meeting said the current £40 charge was not covering costs.

As Ty Penallta only has one room for weddings, the alternative option considered was to charge the statutory amount for a very basic ceremony, charging for extras such as music, readings or additional time in the ceremony room.

Monmouthshire council currently operates using this system.

The new fees are set to be introduced in January 2010.

The council opted to increase the fees, but provide these options to all wedding parties.

Friday prices were hiked up due to high demand and because these ceremonies cost more than other weekdays because of the demand which requires additional cover for registration duties.

Saturday is another busy day, with council estimates that up to ten ceremonies are held in the room every Saturday during the summer, dropping to between four and five during winter and spring.

A council spokesman said: "The cost has remain unchanged for many years, but unfortunately there is now a need to review the pricing structure. We are proud of the quality of the service provided by the team and feel these revised costs are a fair reflection and still offer good value for money for such a special occasion."