Deene Park Estate, with its stunning views of the house , 500+ acres of listed parkland, lakes & formal gardens offers you a breathtaking backdrop for your truly exclusive wedding experience.
Set in 27 acres of stunning grounds, Fanhams Hall is a Grade II listed Jacobean mansion offering licensed outdoor and indoor civil ceremonies. With periodic features in the main house and a contemporary venue also we have something to suit everyone.
Set in 120 acres a unique wedding venue licensed for civil ceremonies in Surrey including outdoor ceremonies. Our dedicated wedding team can provide ideas and quotes on receptions, guest accommodation and exclusive use for your special day.
Ashridge House is a spectacular, award-winning wedding venue in Hertfordshire, only 30 miles from London. Once a royal residency and steeped with over 700 years of history, Ashridge House is the dream wedding venue for your special day.
Redhouse Barn is uniquely beautiful, providing a mix of contemporary style with traditional values set in 5 acres of beautiful Worcestershire countryside. Wedding reception venue licenced for weddings in our beautifully restored barn.
All Manor of Events in Henley, Ipswich, Suffolk. Stunning venue for your wedding reception and civil ceremony. Wedding packages available. The barn is able to accommodate for small and large weddings.
Stunning 17th century hall & restored coach house. Exclusively yours for up to 150 guests and accommodation for up to 42 guests. Set in 100 acres of private estate, the perfect wedding venue. Beautiful grounds for amazing photos of your special day.
The beauty of Grittleton House Wiltshire is that as a family owned house it comes with the ultimate flexibility. We want your wedding day to be unique, like no other. With your vision & our expertise we can work together to make your dream a reality
Lainston House is a luxurious wedding venue in Hampshire. Licensed for Civil Ceremonies, this venue is also available for Exclusive Use. The 17th Century Dawley Barn is the perfect setting for your special day, with everything in one place.
Saltcote Place is an award-winning wedding venue in East Sussex, offering magical, far-reaching views, formal gardens, and exclusive use. We give you the time and tools needed to create your perfect day. Late checkout, early check-in and more!
Botleys Mansion is a grand country house wedding venue available for exclusive use for weddings, in Chertsey, Surrey. Licensed for Civil Ceremonies, this luxurious wedding reception venue is an ideal mixture of old and new.
The Engine Shed Wetherby is a stunning converted building now used as a wedding venue in Wetherby, West Yorkshire.
Eastington Park is a beautiful Grade II Georgian Manor House with Exclusive Use set in beautiful grounds within the Cotswolds.
Fairyhill by Oldwalls is a picturesque grade II listed Georgian house, set within acres of glorious Gower gardens. With a license for ceremonies and an option in the nicer weather to have the ceremony outside, this is a truly stunning wedding venue.
The most romantic day at one of the most romantic & prestigious wedding venues in Leicestershire. Stapleford Park is an idyllic setting with stunning landscaped grounds for a Country House Wedding, licensed for civil ceremonies & wedding receptions.
An enchanting country estate, Davenport House is exclusively yours on your special day.
A luxury Wedding Venue, in Horsham, Sussex. South Lodge also has a civil ceremony licence. This beautiful venue offers exclusive use and also has guest accommodation available.
Nestled within 50 acres of beautiful Welsh countryside, Oldwalls is the flagship multi award-winning wedding venue by the Oldwalls Collection, the renowned luxury wedding venue specialists based at the heart of Gower.
*UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT* Wedding venue in Charlecote, near Stratford upon Avon. The hotel is also licensed for Civil Ceremonies & civil partnerships up to 100 in our converted Hayloft.
Welcome to Thornton Manor; a grade II listed Elizabethan-style house built in the middle of the 19th century. With Four extraordinary venues set in an oasis of quintessentially British countryside.
Milton Hill House, a wedding venue in Milton, Nr Abingon, Oxfordshire is a stunning venue for your wedding day. We are licenced for civil ceremonies as well as able to offer you the venue for your wedding reception.
An Exclusive-use & Picturesque Country Barn Wedding Venue in Berkshire. A charismatic historical estate. Renovated into a rustic, picturesque and romantic venue that offers complete flexibility for you to create your dream day.
Cain Manor is an exquisite Elizabethan oak country house wedding venue on the Surrey / Hampshire border. Exclusive use is guaranteed as Cain Manor becomes your home for your wedding day.
Many congratulation on your engagement, welcome to The Dartmouth Hotel, with years of experience in helping couples organise their special wedding day. Our countryside Hotel setting can offer both intimate and larger bespoke weddings, near Totnes.
Civil ceremony wedding venues are hugely popular throughout the UK. However, what exactly does it mean to be a licensed wedding venue?
If you want a legally-binding wedding ceremony with no religious affiliation, and you’re getting married in England or Wales, then a civil ceremony is the best match for you. You can either get married in a register office, or you can have a civil ceremony at an approved wedding venue. To be an approved civil ceremony venue, wedding venues need to apply for a civil ceremony licence.
There are hundreds of wedding venues with a civil ceremony licence in the UK, but it’s important to check that your dream venue has one if you’re wanting a legally-binding ceremony. The alternative is marrying in a humanist or spiritual ceremony, which will allow you to marry in any venue (or in an unlicensed part of an otherwise licensed venue, such as a garden or private beach), but will need to be followed by a legal civil ceremony in a register office at another date.
Have questions about your civil ceremony wedding venue? Take a look at our FAQ below…
It’s not just mansion houses or castles that can be approved wedding venues - approved premises can include everything from hotels and restaurants to zoos, aquariums, treehouses and caves! If they’re on our civil ceremony venue list, then you can legally marry there. However, don’t assume that more traditional venues always have a civil ceremony licence. It costs wedding venues money to apply for a license, so some just host humanist or spiritual ceremonies, or simply host wedding receptions rather than ceremonies.
The local council determine if wedding venues are suitable for a civil ceremony licence. This includes whether or not they’re in a safe and reasonable state for members of the public, and if they meet fire safety regulations. The venue must also be regularly available to the public for the purpose of conducting marriage ceremonies. This is why private homes can’t be approved for a civil ceremony license. If you’re hoping to marry on private land, in a back garden or a large home that isn’t available to the public, you’ll need to hold your legal ceremony in a register office instead.
If you want to tie the knot in an outdoor wedding ceremony, then your wedding venue will need a separate civil ceremony licence for this. The legal elements of the ceremony must also take place in a fixed and permanent structure, such as a wooden gazebo or pagoda. This means that you can’t legally marry under a floral arch, on an open beach or in woodland, for example. Don’t presume that any permanent fixture in a wedding venue’s garden will be automatically covered by a civil ceremony licence. Venues need to purchase licences for separate structures. If you want to know if you can get married in a garden, search our ‘Outdoor wedding ceremony’ filter or simply enquire with your chosen wedding venue.
The law does not consider marquees to be permanent structures, even ones that are up all year round. As a result, it can be difficult to have a civil ceremony in a marquee. One way to get around this is to have your ceremony over the threshold of a doorway. This way, your guests can be seated in the marquee while you are technically indoors.
A civil wedding ceremony has certain legal requirements. You must have two witnesses over the age of 18, and you will need to exchange contractual words of marriage. There is a degree of flexibility within these guidelines, and you can include your own promises as part of your wedding ceremony. Your registrar can guide you on what words need to be legally included.
By law a civil ceremony cannot include any religious element, including readings or music. You also cannot hold a civil ceremony in a religious building. If you would like to include religion in some way, you can have a religious blessing after your civil ceremony.
The above requirements only apply to weddings in England and Wales. In Scotland, humanist ceremonies are legally binding, so brides in Scotland have more flexibility when choosing their wedding venues. Unlike civil ceremonies, humanist weddings do not require specific wording, or for the ceremony to be under a permanent structure. You can also include religious elements in your humanist ceremony. If you’re a bride in Scotland, ask your wedding venue about what kind of ceremony would work best for you.
Elaine has over 8 years of experience working with wedding venues, and advises many of the top hotel and venue brands on their wedding marketing. She has a deep understanding of statistics that can accurately predict the online populaity of a particular venue and she is happy to share that knowledge with wedding couples and venues.
