Set in beautiful countryside, Forrester Park is an independent venue which has been hosting wedding celebrations for over 30 years. It is available all year round for hire and is licenced for civil ceremonies. Contact us for details of 2018 offers. More info
Private country house, set in acres of beautiful landscaped gardens in Essex. Beautiful luxury wedding venue with bridal suite & spa. The Orsett Hall Wedding Chapel really is unique & the only venue in Essex that has a Chapel in its own grounds. More info
The Roslin Beach Hotel is recognised as the most exclusive coastal Wedding venue in Essex, with panoramic views of the twinkling Estuary, mouth-watering menus, toes-in-the-sand photos and receptions by the shore, accompanied by the sounds of the sea. More info
Leez Priory is a stunning Tudor mansion wedding venue set in the beautiful Essex countryside and offered exclusively to you for your special day. Three times winner of 'Wedding Ideas Awards Venue of the Year' and it is easy to see why! More info
Gaynes Park is an elegant and stylish barn wedding and reception venue set in a historic private estate. It is approached up a long entrance drive through park and farmland with sweeping views over the London skyline. More info
Fennes is the perfect choice for a wedding venue, with its stunning grounds, and with various rooms licenced we are able to accommodate intimate weddings through to large wedding parties. There is something truly unique about Fennes in Bocking, Essex More info
Gosfield Hall is a stunning Georgian manor house set in the heart of rural Essex and is offered to you exclusively for your wedding day. Winner of 'Wedding Ideas Awards Venue of the Year' in 2011 and it's easy to see why! More info
That Amazing Place offers exclusive overnight accommodation in our stylish and extremely comfortable bedrooms, with our new luxurious Bridal Cottage (available from 2018) and 13 additional guest rooms (sleeping up to 27 people). More info
Braxted Park comes with acres of stunning grounds and is easily one of the finest wedding venues in Essex for the most amazing celebrations. Enter the gates and discover walled gardens full of beauty and magic that are exclusively yours to enjoy. More info
A fantastic wedding venue in Chelsford Essex. The Lion House provides a perfect space for your special day. Self contained and beautiful accommodation. More info
Hylands House in Chelmsford is one of the premier wedding venues in Essex. We cater for both wedding ceremonies and civil partnerships. More info
Wedding venue in Kent. One of the most beautiful wedding venues in Kent. Surrounded by 500 acres of parkland and gardens, Leeds Castle in Kent is an idyllic setting for the most romantic of weddings and civil partnerships, whatever the season. More info
Set in acres of Parkland in Colchester, with a gorgeous moat as your backdrop, our award winning Manor House Wedding Venue is yours exclusively. We are licensed for ceremonies, with an option, weather permitting, for an outdoor ceremony. More info
The Coach House sits in its own private garden within the historic set of Marks Hall Gardens and Arboretum in rural North Essex. Built in the 18th century, the Coach House was once used to house horse-drawn carriages for Marks Hall mansion house. More info
Southend Cliffs Pavilion is the perfect setting for your wedding offering a unique wedding experience with a fantastic location, stunning views and the perfect combination of coast and countryside. More info
With a magnificent setting in 300 acres of picturesque, rolling countryside on the Essex/Suffolk border, Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf & Spa offers a wedding experience you'll never forget. Come and discover the romance of Constable Country... More info
Parklands Quendon Hall, is a Manor House Wedding Venue in Essex. Situated close to Hertfordshire, this beautiful venue can cater for intimate to large wedding parties. With 100 acres of grounds, this makes for fantastic wedding photographs. More info
A picturesque genuine 15th century Tudor Manor House with a moat, beautiful gardens, set in over 100 acres of grass and woodland with four lakes surrounded by unspoilt countryside. Family run Essex wedding venue with outdoor wedding ceremonies. More info
Beautiful country house for wedding civil ceremonies or wedding receptions in Essex. A historic Country House, situated in the breathtaking beauty of the Hertfordshire/Essex countryside, providing an exquisite backdrop for your special day... More info
Boreham House is a truly amazing Grade 1 listed Stately Home with an avenue of trees and a breathtaking formal lake. This beautiful mansion is set in 35 acres of grounds and is suited for Civil Weddings & Receptions exclusively yours for the day. More info
If you're planning your Essex wedding then talk to us - We can help you with every stage of your big day and even provide you with our experienced wedding planner to make sure everything runs smoothly. Amongst the wedding information on this site we give you advice on planning your wedding, how to budget as well as the offers and services we can provide including: wedding entertainment, More info
Wedding civil ceremonies and wedding receptions at The Thurrock Hotel, Aveley, Essex. This modern hotel set in its own grounds provides an idyllic & peaceful setting for your wedding reception. More info
Hedingham Castle, at the centre of a private estate surrounded by countryside of astonishing beauty, is one of the most unique wedding venues in Essex. Romantic fairytale wedding setting for your Castle wedding. Marquee receptions also available. More info
The exquisite 4 star country hotel is settled within the esteemed Great Warley conservation area and borough of Brentwood, Essex. Overlooking Italian inspired gardens, minutes from Brentwood and with easy access into London Liverpool Street. More info
How is a venue licensed for civil ceremonies? Find out why civil ceremony licensed venues are so popular.
If you want to have your marriage ceremony and reception all in one venue in Essex, 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.
If your dream wedding venue isn't licensed for civil ceremonies, there's other options in Essex. 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 license. Some venues, you can only have a humanist or spiritual ceremony at, or just have your reception there. This is because they haven't paid for a civil ceremony license. We have all of the top venues licensed for civil ceremonies in Essex. Check them out.
If a wedding venue in Essex 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. If you're wanting to have your wedding in a private home or in gardens, you will be unable to do this. The venue needs to be open to the public regularly. 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 Essex.
The law does not consider marquees to be permanent structures, even ones that are up all year round. 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. One advantage of a civil ceremony is there's the option to say what you wish as part of your wedding vows. There are some things that need to be legally stated for it to be legally binding but you can work around this. Find an abundance of venues licensed for civil ceremonies in Essex on Guides for Brides.
You can't have your civil ceremony in a religious building in Essex, such as a church. It applies the same way round - you can't have a religious aspect to your civil ceremony. Therefore, unfortunately you are not allowed to have a religious reading during 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. If you're wanting to have religious elements to your ceremony, whether that be a song or a reading, a humanist ceremony would work perfect for you in Scotland. Speak to a few venues around you to see what ceremonies they can offer and what would work for you
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