Outdoor marriages and civil partnerships
Applies to England and Wales
Download the full outcome
Detail of outcome
Outdoor weddings at licensed venues in England and Wales will be legalised indefinitely after the change received overwhelming support from the public, faith groups and the wedding industry.
The consultation paper ‘Outdoor Weddings and Civil Partnerships’ was published on 20 December 2021. It invited comments on the Government’s proposals to continue to permit outdoor civil marriages and civil partnerships on approved premises, and to permit outdoor religious marriages in the grounds of places of worship.
The consultation set out the Government’s proposal to continue to allow outdoor civil marriage and civil partnership ceremonies on approved premises. This policy has already been in effect since 1 July 2021, when the Government laid a Statutory Instrument (‘SI’) during the Covid-19 pandemic to give couples more choice of setting and to support the wedding and civil partnership sector. However, that SI has effect only until the end of 5 April 2022. The Government therefore proposed to lay a further SI that would come into effect when these changes expire and would continue to permit these outdoor civil marriage and civil partnership proceedings.
The paper also set out the Government’s proposal to permit outdoor religious marriages in the grounds of places of worship, through a separate legislative reform order (‘LRO’). This would allow couples seeking religious marriages at places of worship, as well as religious bodies, to benefit from similar increased flexibility and choice as those seeking civil marriages and civil partnerships on approved premises and help promote greater efficiency in the wedding sector.
It sought views from anyone affected by the proposals, including owners, trustees and other representatives of approved premises or prospective approved premises; representatives of authorities responsible for approvals of premises and for compliance with conditions that attach to approvals; representatives of marriage and civil partnership registration services sitting in local authorities; religious groups or bodies; owners or trustees of places of worship registered for solemnising marriages; authorised persons appointed under the Marriage Act 1949; celebrants; other individuals, companies or bodies involved in the wedding and civil partnership sector; couples who have had or were planning outdoor weddings/civil partnerships in England and Wales; and any other person affected or potentially affected by the proposals.
The consultation period closed on 24 January 2022 and this report summarises the responses, including how the consultation process influenced the final shape of the policy/proposal consulted upon.
The government has carefully considered all responses to this consultation. Respondents were overwhelmingly in favour of continuing the provision of outdoor civil marriages and civil partnerships, therefore it remains the Government’s intention to make a further indefinite SI when the temporary civil ceremony SI expires on 5 April 2022. The amendments to the Marriages and Civil Partnership (Approved Premises) Regulation 2005 made by this further SI will be substantially similar to those made by the temporary SI, with the exception of a few key changes which are discussed below.
Respondents were also in favour of the proposal to extend the provision of outdoor ceremonies to religious marriages, on a permissive basis via an LRO. The Government will therefore take these proposals forward.
Original consultation
Consultation description
This consultation document seeks views on the government’s proposals to continue to permit outdoor civil marriages and civil partnerships on approved premises, and to permit outdoor religious marriages in the grounds of places of worship.
Since July 2021, couples have been able to have their civil marriage and civil partnership proceedings outside, in the grounds of buildings such as stately homes and hotels which are approved or become approved for civil ceremonies. This was made possible because the Government laid a statutory instrument (‘SI’) amidst the Covid-19 pandemic to give couples more choice of setting and to support the wedding and civil partnership sector. However, that SI only has effect until 5 April 2022.
The government proposes to lay a further SI to enable outdoor civil marriage and civil partnership proceedings to continue indefinitely by bringing this further SI into force as soon as possible.
The government also proposes to extend the policy of permitting outdoor ceremonies to religious marriages using a separate legislative reform order. Together, these proposals would ensure that the provision for outdoor marriages and civil partnerships on approved premises continues indefinitely and would extend similar arrangements to religious weddings in the grounds of places of worship. The proposals would enable couples to have a greater choice in relation to the location of their ceremonies, and for approved premises and religious bodies to have more flexibility in the locations for ceremonies, should they choose to offer it. This reform will act as a stepping-stone towards later and more comprehensive and durable reform following the Law Commission’s recommendations, should the Government decide to undertake such reform. The Law Commission will separately present options for reforms to modernise marriage law.
The proposals would enable couples to have a greater choice in relation to the location of their ceremonies, and for approved premises and religious bodies to have more flexibility in the locations for ceremonies should they choose to offer it.
The government welcomes views or experiences on how the civil ceremony changes made in July 2021 have been working, as well as any other views on how the proposal to continue the provision for outdoor civil marriages and civil partnerships on approved premises, and to separately permit outdoor religious weddings in the grounds of places of worship, would work or the effects it might have.
Documents
Last updated 22 March 2022 + show all updates
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Welsh language consulation response published
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Consultation response published.
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First published.