It is not the purpose of this directory to offer advice or comment on the merits or otherwise of religious or civil marriages. As far as the former are concerned, we can only recommend that if you wish to make your marriage vows before God, you should consult with the local clergy or place of worship of your chosen denomination.

As far as civil marriages are concerned, there has been a long awaited change in legislation and the position is now as follows: -

The law says that you can marry on any day of the week between the hours of 8am and 6pm. Marriage legislation now allows you to marry at any Register Office in England and Wales providing you reside within these countries. This is a relaxation of the old system which previously restricted you to marry in your residential district.

There was a time when Register Offices would not accept bookings more than three months ahead. In fact, official Notice of Marriage for a civil wedding can now be given 12 months in advance, and some districts are now accepting provisional bookings years ahead of the marriage day.

For Register Office ceremonies, registrars only work a set number of hours so, in most cases, Register Office weddings continue to take place between IOam and 4pm on weekdays and IOam to 12pm on a Saturday, albeit there may be local variations.

The licensing for marriage of Approved Premise venues has been the most far-reaching part of the marriage legislation. Civil marriages can now take place in Approved Premises licensed by the appropriate local authority. Thus it is now possible to have your marriage ceremony and wedding reception in the same building, and a number of historic venues and country and town hotels with grounds are available for weddings on any day of the week, including Sundays, when Register Offices are closed, and the availability of churches for weddings is very limited.

There are now hundreds of Approved Premises in England and Wales. The conditions of the licence are regulated by local authorities and it is necessary for Registrars to be in attendance at the venue for the ceremony. As with all civil marriage ceremonies, the authority to marry is required from the bride and groom's own district registrar.

The numbers and locations of approved premises will clearly be constantly changing and we at The Wedding Guide will be happy to send you regular updated information on approved wedding venues and any developments in the system when they occur.

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