Approved premises for Marriage and Civil Partnership Ceremonies  

Marriage and Civil Partnership Ceremonies can take place in the Register Offices or at any of the venues approved for Civil Weddings/Partnerships. 

Civil wedding premises licences

You need a licence if you want to hold civil marriage or civil partnership ceremonies at your premises.

When you apply, you will need to identify a specific room or rooms where marriages or civil partnerships will take place. This must be part of the building, not in the open air or under a marquee.

Your venue cannot have any current or recent religious connections (e.g. you couldn’t get a licence for a chapel in a stately home).

The premises must be an appropriate and dignified setting for marriages and civil partnerships. We will consider this when we assess your application.

How do I apply for this licence?

To apply for a licence to hold civil marriage and civil partnership ceremonies, download and complete an application form and return it to the address on the form.

Civil marriage premises licence application form (MS Word, 1.01MB)

If you would like to discuss your application, call us on 01824 706196

How much does it cost?

A new licence costs £1,490. Licences are valid for 3 years, and it costs £1,330 to renew.

Adding an additional room to an existing licence costs £210.

There is an administration charge of £45 to amend the existing Approval.  This includes changes to the name of the Approved Venue or to change the name of the Responsible Person.

Current applications

We publish details of applications to become approved premises for civil weddings and civil partnership ceremonies that are currently being considered. 

View our current consultations