A government consultation on letting couples in England and Wales legally marry almost anywhere closed this week. Should the rules on wedding venues be scrapped?
Current law ties most legal weddings to approved buildings. Ministry of Justice proposals would regulate who conducts the ceremony instead, so couples could marry on beaches, in forests or even on cruise ships. A new Opinium poll for Barclays found 68% of UK adults back legal weddings in more places, including pubs.
What happened
The Ministry of Justice's consultation on reforming weddings law in England and Wales ran from 16 July to 24 September. It proposes moving from a system based on buildings to one based on officiants, who would meet strict requirements and decide whether a location is suitable, so couples could marry in forests, on beaches, in castles, or on canal boats and cruise ships. The government says about 470,000 people marry each year and the average wedding costs over £20,000.
Why people disagree
Supporters say couples should be free to marry somewhere meaningful to them; ministers say costs too often put weddings out of reach and that reform would help couples in religious-only or interfaith ceremonies who lack full legal protection. The Marriage Foundation warns a new regime of officiants could take years to set up, cost public money and complicate marriage, and argues for simple civil registration kept separate from the celebration.
What's still unclear
The government has not yet published its response or a start date. It is unclear how officiants would be regulated in practice, how safeguards against forced or sham marriages would work outside approved venues, and what it would mean for licensed venues.
Sources
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