Apply to license a venue for civil marriage and civil partnerships

You must have a civil marriage or civil partnership venue licence if you want to hold:

civil marriage and / or civil partnership ceremonies in a non-religious venue
civil partnership ceremonies in a religious venue

Please contact us for further advice if you wish to licence a religious venue.

Non-religious and religious venues apply for licences in the same way, although the requirements and conditions are different.

The application must be made by the proprietor or trustee of the venue. If you are applying to hold civil partnership ceremonies in a religious building, we may require the consent of the governing authority.

Along with the completed application form, we will also need a number of documents and the fee. Please carefully read the guidance handbooks below as we may not be able to process your application if documents are missing.

Contact us to apply.

Checklist of duties

Checklist of duties for the 'responsible person' during a ceremony

During a ceremony, the following duties should be performed by the 'responsible person' named in the application form for the venue.

One hour before the ceremony

a notice should be displayed at all entrances to the venue
stop serving food and drink in the ceremony area (if applicable)
there should be a designated parking space for the registrars
ensure that the music is set up and working

30 minutes before the ceremony

show the registrars to the interview room
bring party one to the interview room
return party one to their guests

15 minutes before the ceremony

ask the guests to move to the ceremony area, ensuring they do not take any food or drink with them
bring party two to the interview room (approximately ten minutes before the ceremony, or after party one has been interviewed)
be available to escort party two to the ceremony room, ready to make their entrance

At the start of the ceremony

give a nod or other indication to the registrar when party two is ready to make their entrance

During the ceremony

be present and visible to the registrars during the ceremony, in case of any arising issues

Licence fees

The fees include all costs, including advertising in the local newspaper. The licence lasts for three years. You can see the current fees here.

Areas that can be licensed

The venue must be in good repair and a permanent structure. You can also apply to have the grounds of the venue licenced to hold ceremonies in the open air or a temporary structure such as a marquee. Different rules apply for the licensing of buildings for religious weddings. You can find out more in the guidance notes below.

Ceremonies covered by the licence

The licence covers holding a civil marriage and / or the registration of a civil partnership.

For non-religious venues, the licence does not cover holding religious ceremonies on your premises. Your licence could be cancelled if you hold religious ceremonies on a part of the premises approved for civil weddings or civil partnerships.

Public objections

The public has the right to object to your application. Your application will be publicised on this website and the public may consult your application form. You also need to display a notice on your premises stating you are applying for a licence. If any objections are made, we will attempt to resolve any issues before we make a decision on the application.

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