Botleys Mansion is a grand country house wedding venue available for exclusive use for weddings, in Chertsey, Surrey. Licensed for Civil Ceremonies, this luxurious wedding reception venue is an ideal mixture of old and new.
Situated in 17 acres of Surrey countryside, Gorse Hill is a beautiful manor house with a quintessentially English charm, you couldn't ask for a more magical setting to celebrate your special day.
Cain Manor is an exquisite Elizabethan oak country house wedding venue on the Surrey / Hampshire border. Exclusive use is guaranteed as Cain Manor becomes your home for your wedding day.
Mercure Box Hill Burford Bridge Hotel is a barn wedding venue in Surrey with a modern twist. You and your guests will have access to your own entrance, exclusive bar & the Tithe Barn which is licensed for weddings as well as partying until 1am!
Set in 123 acres a unique wedding venue licenced for civil ceremonies in, Surrey including outdoor ceremony. Our dedicated wedding co-ordinator can provide ideas and quotes on receptions, guest accommodation and exclusive use for your special day.
Set in the heart of the picturesque Halliloo Valley and boasting unspoilt views, Woldingham Golf Club is the ideal venue for your special day. Elegantly decorated with a lounge area and balconies providing outside seating and views across the course
At The Talbot we believe your special day should be as unique as you are, which is why we don't have a set package, our menu's and drinks packages mean that you can tailor make your wedding according to your taste and budget.
Macdonald Frimley Hall Hotel & Spa is the perfect wedding venue. Walking through the stunning landscaped gardens to an oak wood staircase and fireplace, this picturesque Grade II listed Victorian Manor House is the ideal backdrop for your wedding
Horsley Towers is an Exclusive Use wedding venue in East Horsley.With picturesque grounds to create your stunning wedding photography. With a civil ceremony licence across 3 function rooms across the estate! Horsley Towers is simply the perfect venue
Surrounded by 200 acres of rolling countryside, Surrey National's contemporary clubhouse enjoys a picturesque & tranquil setting & offers flexible accommodation for up to 340 guests, first class service, excellent cuisine & stunning views.
From its position atop one of the Surrey Hills in Guildford, Barnett Hill Hotel is Situated within beautiful manicured gardens and grounds. licensed for civil ceremonies and available for exclusive use.
The Holiday Inn Guildford, Surrey is the perfect setting for a superb wedding celebration. They offer a combination of mouth-watering menus, seamless service and elegant surroundings with a variety of packages to suit all budgets.
Set within almost 10 acres of countryside, this unique hotel is newly refurbished and licensed for both indoor and outdoor civil weddings. With 53 luxury bedrooms, onsite deluxe catering and the option of exclusive use.
Wedding Venue in Dorking, Surrey. Celebrate your Surrey wedding in the beautiful landscaped setting of the vineyard. Denbies is one the most spectacularly unique wedding venue in the heart of the Surrey Hills.
Nestled in the Surrey Hills, Wotton House is the perfect setting for your wedding day. Choose from indoor or outdoor ceremony spaces, enjoy our stunning Grade II listed gardens and 17th century details throughout add a touch of magic to your day.
Langshott Manor is a bespoke hotel with unique features and a picture perfect backdrop . You can choose to exchange vows in front of our ancient moat, enjoy a blessing in our secret garden or celebrate to the chimes of our bell tower.
Great Fosters is a truly romantic setting for your wedding in Egham, Surrey. Set in 50 acres of picturesque gardens, Great Fosters is also licensed to hold civil ceremonies both indoors and outside.
Our fabulous weddings venue on the River Thames in Egham, Surrey is just down the road from Royal Windsor and minutes from Heathrow. It's the perfect place to start your life together.
A unique, privately owned, historic wedding venue in Surrey, with a license for civil ceremonies, a 17th century Tithe Barn and a two and a half acre walled garden surrounded by 1,400 acres of parkland.
Reigate Manor is a beautiful 18th Century manor house in the heart of Surrey. With 5 different rooms licensed for civil ceremonies and 50 bedrooms the venue can take care of your whole day.
Hartsfield Manor is a wedding venue in Betchworth, Surrey. Offered for hire exlusively or for use for your wedding reception, this Manor house wedding venue is also licenced for civil ceremonies, so you can celebrate your whole occassion in style.
Overlooking the historic crafting town of Farnham in Surrey and nestled amongst five acres of iconic grounds, Farnham Castle continues its 900-year legacy of hosting superior weddings and events.
We have a variety of packages and suites suitable for every couple, from a small intimate wedding of 30 guests, to a guest list as large as 160 for a wedding breakfast and an evening reception for up to 250 guests.
A country manor house transformed to its former glory and surrounded by picturesque woodlands and views overlooking the Surrey countryside.
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 a ceremony in Surrey 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.
If your dream wedding venue isn't licensed for civil ceremonies, there's other options in Surrey. 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. 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.
When a venue in Surrey 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. 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 Surrey.
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 Surrey on Guides for Brides.
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 Surrey. If you would like to include religion in some way, you can have a religious blessing after 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.
