Hampton Court Castle is a stunning exclusive use wedding venue in the Herefordshire countryside, with exquisite reception rooms & luxurious bedrooms. The award winning gardens are the perfect setting for those once in a lifetime wedding photographs.
Bredenbury Court Barns are a collection of beautiful buildings undergoing careful restoration; including a charming 1920s Orangery for your wedding ceremony & glass-walled Oak Barn with stunning views for your feast & party. Onsite accommodation too!
A stunning Georgian manor house set within the beautiful Herefordshire countryside. Licensed for civil ceremonies and wedding receptions for up to 80 guests and evening receptions up to 150. Marquee wedding receptions available for up to 250 guests.
A romantic countryside exclusive use wedding venue in Herefordshire. Licensed for Civil Ceremonies. The medieval manor house surrounded by a moat is breathtaking. An event barn with stunning views caters for large groups and your evening party.
Perfect Wedding reception venue in Herefordshire . This quintessential English country house is an 18th Century Georgian manor house.
If you are looking for excellence and extravagance, then you've found it. We are a dedicated, exclusive use, manor house wedding venue in Eardisley. With both house and gardens available for your wedding.
A warm and inviting castle set at the foot of the Malvern Hills; available for exclusive use and licensed for civil ceremonies. Set in a 5,000 acre estate complete with a lake, deer park and arboretum. A Truly magical wedding castle in Ledbury.
Alexander Park is the perfect setting for your wedding day. Host your civil ceremony, wedding reception or anniversary with us in Herefordshire.
Situated on the edge of the Forest of Dean in Ross on Wye, overlooking the River Wye, in an area of outstanding beauty is Royal Lodge. A civil licensed wedding venue.
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 to have your marriage ceremony and reception all in one venue in Herefordshire, 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.
Most wedding venues in Herefordshire will have a civil ceremony license, however some don't, so you will want to ensure that your chosen venue does before booking them. 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.
We're here to answer all of your questions on wedding venues licensed for civil ceremonies below...
Not just traditional wedding venues have civil ceremony licenses. Some more unique venues including safari parks, tree houses and beach venues have this license. 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 Herefordshire. Check them out.
When a venue in Herefordshire applies for a civil ceremony license it needs to be assessed by the local council. 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. Due to the law, if you get married outside it still needs to be under a fixed permanent structure. 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 Herefordshire.
The law does not consider marquees to be permanent structures, even ones that are up all year round. If you want to hold your wedding in a marquee, it's best to get married in a nearby church or licensed venue indoors before the reception. 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 Herefordshire on Guides for Brides.
You can't have your civil ceremony in a religious building in Herefordshire, 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. 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.
