After the initial excitement of your engagement comes the task of planning a wedding with apparently endless decisions to be made about venue, guest list, catering, bridesmaids, hen do and so much more. At some point you will have to decide how you are actually going to be married ie what kind of ceremony you will have. Here I explain the options for couples marrying in England (other parts of the UK have different rules - feel free to message me for details).
For a marriage in the UK to be legally recognised it must be conducted according to the Marriage Act 1994 and as such must be conducted between two people over the age of 18 by a licensed minister or registrar. Prior to your marriage you must ‘give notice’; you must give notice at least 29 days before your wedding (less in exceptional circumstances) and you must marry within one year of giving notice. You usually give notice at your local registry office (even your ceremony will take place elsewhere) although if you are marrying in church your ‘marriage banns’ will complete this legal necessity.
Religious: If you are a member of a faith community you will no doubt want a religious wedding in your usual place of worship. In most churches and synagogues the religious leader will be licensed to perform weddings, meaning that your religious service will include the legal aspect of marriage (signing of the register witnessed by two people) and your wedding will result in a legally binding marriage. For some religious communities this is not the case and in addition to your religious ceremony you will need to complete a separate legal marriage. This can take place on the same day or at another convenient time and your religious leader will be able to advise.
Civil: Since 1836 the law in the UK has made provision for non-religious marriage ceremonies to take place in licensed premises. The simplest and therefore the cheapest form of this is what’s known as a ‘two plus two ceremony’ - as the name implies it is a short ceremony for the couple and two witnesses only and involves no additional readings etc. Currently (2025) the cost of giving notice and this ceremony in Leicestershire is £84+£68.50 (restrictions apply).
Until 1994 licensed premises were restricted to registrar offices but since then other approved premises such as stately homes, museums, hotels etc. have been permitted. In these cases two registrars will attend the licensed venue to conduct the marriage. It is important to know that such ceremonies must NOT contain any religious material - no religious music, readings etc. Couples will be given a choice between three versions of the wording and can write their own vows as well as including a non-religious reading of their choice. This service typically lasts approximately 20 minutes and includes the signing of the register. It is possible to have your ceremony outside IF the premises have a specific license for this - rules are very strict so do not assume this is possible even if your chosen venue has a beautiful outdoor setting! The cost for this service is currently £545 (Mon-Thursday), £645 (Fri - Sun) or £680 on a Bank Holiday.
Celebrant - led: This is NOT a legal ceremony! In order for your marriage to be legally valid you will need to complete at least a two plus two marriage ceremony as outlined above. You can do this on the same day or at another time to your celebrant-led wedding which can be exactly what you want it to be. It can take place anywhere from your own garden to a favourite hillside, from your local village hall to a barn. You can, of course, also have a celebrant-led wedding at a venue that is licensed for civil marriage but unlike the civil service option a celebrant will work with you beforehand (sometimes for many months), they will get to know you both and will write a ceremony that is unique to you. It will reflect your values and your ideals. It can be religious, spiritual or entirely secular; that's for you and the celebrant to agree but there are no restrictions. The cost of this style of ceremony depends on the celebrant you choose but will usually be around the same cost as having a registrar visit your venue. Because of the highly personalised nature of a celebrant-led wedding it is critical to choose the right celebrant for you - see my blog on choosing a celebrant.
It won’t surprise anyone to know that I favour the celebrant-led option! I take great delight in getting to know my couples, understanding exactly how they want their ceremony to be - for some this is light and humorous, for others it is a chance to blend their two religious cultures whatever they may be. As an independent celebrant I am open to creating all ceremonies and have few restrictions (I am not prepared to do a ceremony whilst sky-diving!) and as a heart-led celebrant I am committed to working with integrity, creativity and acceptance. Having said that, I have nothing against a civil marriage for those couples who would genuinely prefer this; my disappointment centres around those couples who end up with this service because they don’t know of the celebrant option. I am frustrated when I hear of venues who at the time of booking ask ‘have you booked your registrar’ without informing people of their choices and don’t get me started on the latest trend among some registrars to call themselves celebrants leading couples to think they will get a bespoke, personalised service when this is simply not the case - a legal ceremony has to follow the protocol outlined above by law! I am lucky enough to work with some wonderful venues who understand the celebrant-led option and are able to advise their couples of the full range of possibilities.
If you'd like to know more about me and the ceremonies I create, please see my website.
By Catrina Young, Leicestershire Heart-led celebrant, Marking Life’s Moments.
© Hardingstone Ceremonies, February, 2025
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