Brympton House is an exclusive use wedding venue in Somerset, described by Country Life as the most beautiful house in the UK. The Mansion is listed as Grade I and the 33 acre gardens are listed as Grade II*.
Nestled at the foot of the Mendip Hill is Coombe Lodge a stunning wedding venue in the North Somerset & Bristol area. Perfect for wedding ceremonies & receptions with breath-taking views across the Chew Valley. Exclusive use wedding venue.
St Audries Park is a fairytale manor house wedding venue within peaceful deer park & boasts the most stunning sea views. The venue is offered exclusively for your special day. A Perfect country house wedding venue in Somerset for your ceremony.
A beautiful exclusive wedding venue set within 66 acres of landscaped gardens & parkland. Seats up to 120 guests and 200 for an evening reception. High quality food and beverage options available. Accommodation on site incl. Wedding suite.
With stunning views and outstanding service, Berwick Lodge is an excellent exclusive use wedding reception venue near Bristol, set in 18 acres of grounds. Make our house your home, with 14 individually designed luxurious bedrooms & suites.
Our 4-star hotel is perfectly located within the Old City. With classic Victorian architecture and contemporary service, the venue is perfect all year round and provides the ideal backdrop for your dream wedding.
Gants Mill is the perfect romantic venue for your country wedding, where you can be confident of an enchanting and memorable day. You can choose your own caterers and there is no corkage charge. Perfect wedding venue in Bristol and Somerset.
An exquisite English vineyard, over looked by the Mendip Hills. With beautiful views and country surrounding, Aldwick Estate is a superb venue for weddings and other special occasions near Bristol
From outdoor ceremonies in our courtyard to large extravagant receptions; design and transform your day at this Somerset wedding venue. Wow your guests and make it a day they’ll never forget.
Beautiful wedding reception venue in Bristol, with a license for your ceremony. Stunning surroundings that are rich in history, picturesque grounds and impeccable service where nothing is overlooked?
Wedding venue set in the heart of the Quantock Hills in Somerset. Your day can be tailored to suit you, whether it be a formal 3 course dinner, or a relaxed hog roast, as we say... Your day, your way!
With six function rooms of various sizes for every possible need, The Bristol Golf Club has you and your wedding covered, listed as one of the top 14 wedding venues in Bristol.
Exclusive wedding venue at Walton Castle, in North Somerset. Licenced for Weddings & Civil Ceremonies. A great location for your special wedding day celebrations or just your wedding reception.
Priston Mill is nestled perfectly in a hidden valley just 15 minutes from central Bath. The Watermill is the smaller of our two venues, filled with historic charm and character. The Tythe Barn is impressive but cosy and can accommodate up to 200.
Whether you’re dreaming of an intimate ceremony, a large formal wedding or a fun-filled celebration; Aztec Hotel & Spa offer a range of stylish settings for your special day. We have all you need for every occasion and wedding.
The Barn at Old Down is a rustic wedding venue set within the stunning 66-acre Old Down Estate just 30 minutes’ drive from the bustling city of Bristol. The Barn blends old style charm with contemporary features.
The Longhouse is a family run Somerset wedding venue with three romantic licensed ceremony locations to choose from & incredible views of the Somerset countryside. We can cater for up to 140 guests and guarantee a very personal service.
A beautiful backdrop for the most memorable day of your life! As a venue for your wedding, Old Bridge offers you all the elements you need to create your bespoke day as you have always imagined. We are licensed for ceremonies, inside and outside.
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
The Manor House is a Wedding Venue licensed for Civil Ceremonies. Set in the charming village of Castle Combe, Wiltshire, the hotel is an idyllic 14th-century manor house - a perfect, magical venue for your wedding day celebrations.
Midelney Manor has a wonderful atmosphere and is very peaceful. We are a bespoke venue which means each wedding is completely unique. We have a very flexible approach and work closely with you to ensure you have your wedding exactly as you wish!
With its historic surroundings, stunning Somerset setting & a warm welcoming atmosphere, its hard to imagine a more perfect wedding venue than the Oakhouse Hotel and private gardens. Licensed for civil ceremonies, available to you for exclusive use.
Leigh Court is a truly unique wedding venue, set in 25 acres of private parkland, that retains many of its stunning original 19th features. This is the venue for couples who want an unforgettable backdrop to the most memorable day of their lives.
Combining romance, English country style and a little bit of magic, Holbrook Manor is a delightfully exclusive wedding venue set in the heart of the Somerset Countryside.
How is a venue licensed for civil ceremonies? Find out why civil ceremony licensed venues are so popular.
If you want a ceremony in Bristol and Somerset that's legally binding without getting married in a church, 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 license.
So many wedding venues in Bristol and Somerset have a civil ceremony license, but just double check they do before booking them. If they don't you will have to find another way of getting a legally-binding marriage. 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.
There's many different types of venue that can be licensed for civil ceremonies. Anything from castles and hotels to barns and even unique venues such as zoo's! 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 license. Some you can only have your wedding reception at but you will have to check with the wedding venue itself. Take a look at our range of civil ceremony licensed venues in Bristol and Somerset.
If a wedding venue in Bristol and Somerset wants a civil ceremony license, it must be assessed before hand. This is done by the council, who determine whether it's suitable. 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 license for this. You can't legally have a civil ceremony in an open area such as in open woodland or under a flower archway on the beach. It must be a fixed structure like a wooden gazebo that is separately licensed. Don’t presume that any permanent fixture in a wedding venue’s garden will be automatically covered by a civil ceremony license. Venues need to purchase licenses 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 in Bristol and Somerset.
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. Ask your chosen registrar about what you need to say during your civil ceremony and then you can work around this to write your own vowed and promises to your partner. Find an abundance of venues licensed for civil ceremonies in Bristol and Somerset on Guides for Brides.
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 in Bristol and Somerset. If you would like to include religion in some way, you can have a religious blessing after your civil ceremony.
If you wish to get married in Scotland, there's many more venues that you can do this is. This is because in Scotland, humanist ceremonies are legally binding and in a humanist ceremony there's a lot more flexibility on what you and your partner can say. Unlike civil ceremonies, humanist weddings do not require specific wording, or for the ceremony to be under a permanent structure. When you've chosen your wedding venue in Scotland, speak to the staff to work out what ceremony will work best for you. You can even include religious readings in your humanist ceremony!
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.
