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.
The Tythe Barn is an incredible wedding venue near Bicester, Oxfordshire. We cater for Wedding Receptions and are licenced for Civil Ceremonies. Our barn oozes character and our rural location allows you to enjoy life away from the fast lane!
Notley Abbey is a exquisite country house wedding venue on the Buckinghamshire / Oxfordshire border, close to Thame and Aylesbury. Notley Abbey is licensed for civil ceremonies and is entirely and exclusively yours for your whole day.
Medieval character & modern charm blend seamlessly to set the scene for your dream wedding. Our unique college barge & outdoor gazebo are the perfect setting to say "I do". Just a short drive from the heart of Oxford, on the banks of the River Thames
At Ardington House you find a mixture of elegance, warmth and style. Surrounded by a tranquil lake, manicured gardens, an island and a luxury marquee. This wedding venue in Oxfordshire is also licenced for civil ceremonies indoors and outdoors.
The Crown & Thistle is a 400-year-old grade II listed coaching inn located in Abingdon, within easy reach of Didcot, Wantage, Wallingford & Oxford. The Barn makes a beautiful wedding venue and is licensed for civil ceremonies.
Sudbury House Hotel is a wedding venue on the Oxfordshire/Wiltshire border. Having been completely refurbished in 2015 the hotel is one of the best hotel venues in the area for your civil ceremony and wedding reception.
An enchanting blend of romantic riverside gardens, stunning wildflower meadows, our traditional Cotswold stone buildings, superb fresh local food and outstanding service, Minster Mill Hotel offers the ultimate wedding experience.
We book 1 wedding a day, this means all eyes are on you. We concentrate on making your special day, just that! The perfect choice for Receptions & Civil Ceremonies in Oxfordshire. We specialise tailor-made wedding receptions with a personal touch.
Privately owned 18th century barn wedding venue on the borders of Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire & Buckinghamshire. The Great Barn is licensed for weddings, wedding receptions & civil ceremonies and can cater for all day and night celebrations.
The Whately Hall is a in Banbury, Oxfordshire. The venue is located close to Bicester, Chipping Norton, Witney, Oxford Whately Hall is the ideal venue for your Civil Ceremony or we can house your complete day including Wedding Breakfast & reception.
A large hotel wedding venue in Milton Common, near Thame. With a license for ceremonies both inside the hotel and in our stunning gardens, weather permitting. We also accommodate for wedding breakfast and receptions options on your wedding day.
Oxford Town Hall is a stunning historic building in the heart of Oxford, this Grade II Victorian listed building is perfect for all wedding celebrations including ceremonies, drinks or evening receptions and wedding breakfasts.
Bicester Hotel and Spa is set within 134 acres of stunning Oxfordshire countryside, offering you the perfect experience for the most important day of your life. Visit our website for information on our wedding packages.
Lains Barn is a beautifuly restored barn in the heart of rural Oxfordshire, with its timber beams, sweeping tiled floor and large wooden doors opening onto a manicured lawn, The perfect setting for a magnificent barn wedding.
At The Randolph we believe your wedding should be everything you have always dreamed of. Whether you are looking for the wow of a grand ballroom celebration or a more intimate ceremony, we are here to set the scene for your most important day.
With picturesque gardens overlooking the River Thames, this intimate venue provides the backdrop that dreams are made of.
Cogges is an idyllic and unique location for a wedding venue in Witney, Oxfordshire. Our two stunning 17th century barns are licensed, and provide a wonderful setting to have your wedding or reception in the Cotwolds - only 30 minutes from Oxford.
The Spread Eagle Hotel Wedding venue in Oxfordshire offers an unrivalled location in the heart of the South Oxfordshire countryside overlooking the historic market town of Thame. Civil ceremony and venue hire based in Thame, Oxfordshire.
Sympathetically rebuilt in 2014 the old grain store barn offers a flexible and exclusive venue within 400 acres of farm estate. Worton Hall can seat 60 to 250 guests for your reception and is licensed for both indoor and outdoor civil ceremonies.
Set in 300 acres of beautiful rolling countryside The Oxfordshire is a stunning location for civil marriages, wedding receptions and evening celebrations. Looking to get married is a stunning venue in Thame.
Heythrop Park is a stunning 18th century Mansion House in the Cotswold countryside. This elegant hotel is the ideal location for your dream wedding offering a range of packages for wedding celebrations; catering from 70 to 800 guests!
Kingston Bagpuize House and Gardens are located in the heart of Oxfordshire. This beautiful stately home and its grounds boasts a stunning marquee, lush gardens, a lake and woodland for your wedding day.
Set in the heart of Oxfordshire, Old Luxters is a stunning barn wedding venue for a truly memorable occasion. The Barn is situated within the award-winning Chiltern Valley Winery. 17th-century barn and gardens with a bar & seating up to 100 guests.
What does it mean to be a licensed venue for civil ceremonies?
Having a civil ceremony is the perfect option for those of you who want a legal ceremony but without having to get married in a church or with a religious connection, 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.
There are hundreds of wedding venues in Oxfordshire with a civil ceremony license, 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.
We're here to answer all of your questions on wedding venues licensed for civil ceremonies below...
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 Oxfordshire.
When a venue in Oxfordshire 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. Due to the venue needing to be regularly open to the public to be an approved venue, you aren't able to legally marry in a private home or estate. 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 Oxfordshire.
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. 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 Oxfordshire 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. 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.
