Looking for the perfect wedding venue? GELLIFAWR COUNTRY HOTEL will provide you with the best civil ceremony venue in Pembrokeshire. Gellifawr is a unique wedding venue in West Wales, tucked away in the peaceful Gwaun Valley.
The Hotel is nestled between two towns in the picturesque coastal village of Pembrey with beautiful views over the Gower Peninsular. Great for the Wedding Pictures.
Welcome to Derwydd Mansion Estate. This unique Grade 2* listed 15th Century mansion and it’s beautiful grounds are the perfect backdrop for your perfect day.
‘Discover the Least Discovered’ Surrounded by magnificent views over the beautiful Dau Cleddau Estuary & Pembrokeshire countryside, Slebech Park Estate provides the ideal setting for your Wedding Celebrations in Bespoke surroundings.
The Baltic Inn is situated in the Gwendreath Valley in the heart of the Carmarthenshire countryside. We offer a variety of affordable and bespoke wedding packages that cater for your every need. We will not be beaten on price or quality.
All you need from a wedding venue, The Cliff Hotel & Spa is a beautiful venue with a licence for civil ceremonies in Cardigan, Ceredigion.
Stradey Park Hotel & Spa is one of the finest award winning wedding venues in Carmarthenshire. Each couple is unique & wishes to make their day personal, our wedding co-ordinators work with you on every detail of the wedding, making your day special.
A unique and incredible setting for a wedding, Cardigan Castle provides an intimate and impressive backdrop for your special day.
Perfect wedding venue at The National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth, Ceredigion. The Library offers spectacular view of the town and the superb building offers an unique backdrop to this most special of days.
How is a venue licensed for civil ceremonies? Find out why civil ceremony licensed venues are so popular.
If you want to have your marriage ceremony and reception all in one venue in West 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 West Wales. 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 West Wales.
If a wedding venue in West 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. If you're wanting to have your wedding in a private home or in gardens, you will be unable to do this. The venue needs to be open to the public regularly. 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 West 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. 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 West Wales 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.
Elaine has over 15 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.
