This stunning slice of Lakeland heaven sits atop a six-acre eerie overlooking the rolling hills of Windermere; recently voted Cumbria's No.1 Wedding Venue. Perfect for those looking for an exclusive hire wedding venue in the Lake District. More info
Mitton Hall is a beautiful and romantic wedding venue in Lancashire. It's historic and contemporary, a combination that has a fantastic reputation as one of the best wedding venues in the area. It's perfect for wedding ceremonies and receptions. More info
Eaves Hall is now one of the finest exclusive wedding venues in the North West with contemporary country house luxury and 30 bedrooms. With a license for ceremonies and available for exclusive use. More info
Thornton Manor is an exclusive wedding venue. Set in 120 acres, first built in the 19th century and has been designated as a Grade II listed building, this includes the Manor House, Waterside Pavilion, Lakeside Marquee and Walled Garden Marquee. More info
Bartle Hall is a Country House Hotel in Lancashire, set in 16 acres of beautiful countryside, available for your wedding celebrations. We are a licensed wedding venue with options for you to use the venue to host your wedding reception. More info
4* venue in Accrington, Lancashire. Licensed for civil ceremonies and available for your wedding reception. Our grand looking hotel offers a fantastic backdrop to your wedding photography. Our dedicated wedding team will ensure the day runs smoothly. More info
Perfectly located between Ashton - under - Lyne & Oldham. Smokies Hotel is an excellent wedding reception venue in Oldham, Lancashire. More info
Beautiful restored 17th century Manor House wedding venue in Lancashire, which is set in over a hundred acres of private grounds. Offering civil ceremonies & wedding receptions. More info
The Best Western Higher Trapp Hotel is licensed to conduct civil ceremonies offering you a superb choice of magnificent venues to ensure you find your dream ceremony. Wedding venue in Lancashire. More info
A stunning Tudor Manor house fully licensed wedding venue in located within Bramhall Park, Cheshire. Historic elegant venues set in 70 acres of beautiful parkland, with some amazing options for your wedding photography. One of Cheshire's finest! More info
Ribby Hall Village is the perfect Lancashire Wedding venue licensed for civil ceremonies situated within a luxury 5 star holiday village. Whether you're hoping for a quirky or traditional wedding, Ribby Hall Village can accommodate this for you. More info
Chadkirk Chapel in Cheshire is a beautiful restored Grade II* listed building dating back to 1307, surrounded by beautiful gardens and woodland, Chadkirk oozes peace and tranquillity and is the perfect venue for your special day. More info
Give your civil ceremony a beautiful backdrop, Best Western The Oaks Hotel is located in Reedley, Lancashire. More info
The Glendower Hotel is a beautiful sea side hotel located on the north promenade of Lytham St Annes in Lancashire. The hotel is fully licensed to host civil ceremonies and can cater for 6 up to 120 wedding guests (160 in the evening). More info
Brockholes is a unique and memorable floating wedding venue, in Samlesbury, near Preston. Our beautiful nature reserve provides a stunning back-drop with a romantic scene as the sun sets over the lake. More info
The Function Room at Holmes Mill is a blank canvas radiating with charm, it ticks all of the boxes for a truly interesting wedding venue. Nestled in the heart of the Ribble Valley it is part of an old textile mill which dates back to 1823. More info
The Shireburn Arms is the quintessential English country inn, in the perfect country village in Clitheroe - a superb location for the perfect country wedding, with a license for civil ceremonies up to 100 guests and up to 250 evening guests. More info
BEST WESTERN Park Hall Hotel & Leisure Club is the perfect setting for your day. The venue, located near Preston, offers all of the benefits of a gorgeous country house retreat while still being conveniently situated near the M6. More info
This luxurious, newly refurbished wedding venue is the perfect place to celebrate your marriage.. Available for exclusive use in Wigan. More info
One of Blackpool's finest Wedding Venues, our grand, historic hotel is licensed for civil ceremonies and also offers the Wedding Breakfast and Wedding reception packages. Of course, plenty of Guest Accommodation on site too, so a complete package! More info
We love weddings here at Barton Grange Hotel. Each one is as unique as the couples themselves and we get a real buzz from helping to transform each wedding daydream into a reality. More info
Beeston Manor is based in Preston, Lancashire. We are a family-run and owned Wedding and Events Venue. The venue is based in the beautiful countryside and is a fully restored 500 year old barn. The venue showcases Oak Beams and Stone Walls. More info
Set in eight acres of rolling Lancashire countryside, less than an hour from the cities of Manchester and Liverpool, West Tower is an impressive country house wedding venue. More info
Wigan Oak Hotel is a perfect choice for your wedding celebrations. Licensed for civil ceremonies and also able to offer you a venue for your wedding receptions, with guest accommodation, we can cater for your complete day. More info
Wedding venues licensed for civil ceremonies are the most popular.
If you want a ceremony in Lancashire 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 Lancashire 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.
Have questions about your civil ceremony wedding venue? Take a look at our FAQ below…
Civil ceremony licensed wedding venues can range from a classic country house or barn to more unique venues including caves and safari parks. 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 Lancashire. Check them out.
The local council determine if wedding venues in Lancashire are suitable for a civil ceremony license. 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 Lancashire.
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. 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 Lancashire on Guides for Brides.
Unfortunately, if you want to have a religious reading or music included in your marriage ceremony, you can't have a civil ceremony. To make this happen, you would have to get married in a church building or have a religious blessing after your marriage.
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.
