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. More info
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. More info
Eynsham Hall is a magnificent grade II listed mansion located in North Leigh, Witney Oxfordshire, just a few miles from the centre of Oxford and the Cotswolds. Eynsham Hall is ideal for your Civil Ceremony and is a fantastic wedding reception venue. More info
A stunning collection of barns set in the rolling Northamptonshire countryside with a licence for ceremonies available exclusively for your wedding day. More info
Located in the heart of Cirencester the Kings Head re-opened in September 2014 as a modern and elegant boutique hotel offering 45 stylish bedrooms, a collection of event spaces for 400 guests, restaurant serving modern British food & Subterranean Spa More info
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. More info
Cogges is an idyllic and unique location for a wedding venue in Witney, Oxfordshire. Our two stunning 17th century barns which provide a wonderful setting to have your wedding or reception. Licenced wedding barns in West Oxfordshire, Cotswolds. More info
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! More info
Welcome to Nether Winchendon House, Buckinghamshire is a truly romantic castellated and quintessentially English wedding venue to make your wedding the day you are dreaming of. More info
A recently refurbished boutique hotel in the heart of Oxfordshire. The Manor has a reputation for outstanding service and food with two AA Rosette awards. Please call to make an appointment or request additional information. More info
Situated on the banks of the beautiful River Thames in Oxfordshire. The Shillingford Bridge Hotel is the ideal location for that perfect wedding picture. Wedding packages to suit all budgets with wedding guest accommodation. More info
Set in the silhouette of Oxford's dreaming spires Hawkwell House Hotel provides total tranquillity near the Thames. With 2 magnificent 19th century manor houses set in 3 acres of gardens we have a variety of inspirational back drops for photos. More info
An enchanting blend of romantic riverside gardens,stunning wildflower meadows,traditional Cotswold stone buildings and outstanding service,the Old Swan & Minster Mill offers the ultimate wedding experience with plenty of choice. More info
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. More info
Warwick House, is a beautiful countryside wedding venue in Warwickshire, close to Stratford and Leamington Spa. With exclusive use for your wedding day, and the option to have an outside ceremony, Warwick House is definitely worth viewing. More info
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. More info
The perfect choice for receptions and Civil Ceremonies in Oxfordshire. We specialise in tailor-made wedding receptions with the personal touch. More info
With picturesque gardens overlooking the River Thames, this intimate venue provides the backdrop that dreams are made of. More info
As Oxford’s only five-star hotel, the Macdonald Randolph Hotel is a natural choice for your wedding day celebrations. More info
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. More info
Merriscourt is an elegant and exclusive choice of venue for the perfect Cotswold barn wedding in a stylish rural setting. We are nestled in the heart of the Cotswolds on the borders of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. More info
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. More info
Greenlands is situated in 30 acres of beautiful parkland on the banks of the River Thames, two miles from Henley-on-Thames famous for the Royal Regatta. A beautiful Wedding Reception Venue in Henley, Oxfordshire also with civil ceremony licence. More info
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. More info
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!
