Home weddings part of vow to make marriage easier
WEDDINGS are to be allowed in family homes, gardens and parks in the biggest shake-up of marriage law since the 19th century.
The Law Commission is proposing to sweep away “outdated” laws to permit an “authorised officiant” of any religion or belief, including humanists, to conduct a wedding irrespective of the venue chosen by the couple.
It would shift the onus from the registered locations to the individuals responsible for conducting the ceremonies, allowing them to go ahead at any “safe and dignified” site, including gardens, beaches, forests, parks, village halls and cruise ships.
Couples would also be able to personalise their wedding service by choosing the vows, rituals and songs, as well as blending aspects of different religions’ ceremonies if they were of mixed faith.
The commission said the changes were designed to meet increasing public demand for simpler, more affordable and personal options with increasing pressure on household budgets and the “Covid backlog” of weddings. It follows a relaxation in the law to allow outdoor weddings in licensed venues, introduced during Covid but made permanent earlier this year.
The commission’s two-year review goes much further in sweeping away what it says are “confusing, out-of-date and restrictive” regulations that “needlessly prevent many couples from marrying in a place that is meaningful to them, or having a ceremony reflecting their own wishes and beliefs.
Prof Nick Hopkins, family law commissioner, said: “The current law on weddings is not working for many couples. Needless restrictions and outdated regulations mean that thousands each year are denied having a wedding that is meaningful to them. Our reforms for the Government are designed to protect the established practices and dignity of weddings, while offering couples more choice on where and how they marry.”
Couples would be able to give notice of their intended wedding online, and to choose the district where they are then interviewed by a registration officer.