Fairyhill by Oldwalls is a picturesque grade II listed Georgian house, set within acres of glorious Gower gardens. With a license for ceremonies and an option in the nicer weather to have the ceremony outside, this is a truly stunning wedding venue.
Nestled within 50 acres of beautiful Welsh countryside, Oldwalls is the flagship multi award-winning wedding venue by the Oldwalls Collection, the renowned luxury wedding venue specialists based at the heart of Gower.
Morgans Hotel Swansea is a luxurious, irresistible boutique hotel located in the centre of Swansea, just minutes from the beautiful maritime quarter and short drive to Mumbles & Gower coastline.
At Mercure Cardiff Holland House Hotel & Spa we'll make your wedding day unforgettable in every way. Our modern, luxurious hotel is situated in an enviable location in the centre of Cardiff. They're licensed for civil ceremonies & civil partnerships.
Welsh Wedding Awards 'Romantic Venue of the Year' 2018 Hensol Castle has opened its doors for weddings. Situated on the Hensol Park Estate, close to The Vale Resort, this Castle Wedding Venue in South Wales is an ideal fairytale location.
Sant Ffraed House by Oldwalls is a picturesque grade two listed country house, set within 14 acres of interrupted countryside from every window.
Set in 650 acres of beautiful welsh countryside, the Vale Resort has long been one of South Wales' most sought after wedding venues.
A hidden treasure, this country house wedding venue in Monmouth, is available for with a civil ceremony license for and indoor or outdoor ceremony, and can also accommodate just the celebrations, from Wedding Breakfast to Reception.
This beautiful wedding venue in Usk, South Wales has been voted as Best Wedding Venue in Wales and recognised for its excellent customer service. A perfect setting for your wedding reception the Glen Yr Afon is the perfect South Wales Wedding Venue.
A Monmouthshire countryside wedding venue. With a licence for civil ceremonies & in a beautiful setting, this venue is a must for weddings.
Get married in a fairytale castle in the heart of the Brecon Beacons National Park, with exclusive use. Our Civil Licensed wedding venue in Pen-y-cae promises to look after you from start to finish ensuring you have the most amazing wedding day!
A breathtaking French oak beamed venue with stunning landscaped gardens, a flower meadow & lots of on-site guest accommodation. We have packages to suit all budgets, and a license for your wedding ceremony too.
A stunning wedding venue based in Cardiff, South Wales
A truly beautiful historic mansion wedding venue in Powys, surrounds by Welsh hills. Available with exclusive use, old stables for your wedding reception and the house is licensed for ceremonies, with Guest Rooms and Bridal Suite available.
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.
Most wedding venues in South Wales 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. It costs wedding venues money to apply for a license, so some just host humanist or spiritual ceremonies, or simply host wedding receptions rather than ceremonies.
If a wedding venue in South Wales 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. 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. If you're wanting to marry outside, it will need to be under a permanent structure, unlike a floral arch or an open beach setting. 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 South Wales.
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. There is a degree of flexibility within these guidelines, and you can include your own promises as part of your wedding ceremony. Your registrar can guide you on what words need to be legally included.
By law a civil ceremony cannot include any religious element, including readings or music. You also cannot hold a civil ceremony in a religious building in South Wales. If you would like to include religion in some way, you can have a religious blessing after your civil ceremony.
If you wish to get married in Scotland, there's many more venues that you can do this is. This is because in Scotland, humanist ceremonies are legally binding and in a humanist ceremony there's a lot more flexibility on what you and your partner can say. 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.
