CIVIL CEREMONIES

With regards who can tie the knot at a Civil Wedding, the marriage rules are exactly the same as those for all other Wedding Ceremonies, except certain religious viewpoints (such as those surrounding the marriage of divorcees) are not a factor – so if you have been married before you will not need to ‘explain yourself’ to a Registrar!

Since December 2005, same-sex couples can also ‘tie the knot’ via a Civil Ceremony, and the rules for homosexual couples looking to enter into a Civil Partnership are very similar to those for heterosexual couples looking to enter into a Civil Wedding. As such, the information throughout this section has been written so that is applicable to anyone looking to join in union via a Civil Ceremony.

When it comes to the actual service itself, Civil ceremonies must strictly be of a non-religious nature and are on the whole much shorter than their religious counterparts - therefore no hymns, or passages from the bible are allowed, but non-religious readings and alternative music can be present. Whilst parish boundaries come into play for Church weddings, there are no such restrictions for Civil Ceremonies and you are free to hold your ceremony outside the area in which you live.

The articles within this section of the website take a more in depth look at Civil Ceremonies. Topics covered include how to arrange a Civil Ceremony and its typical costs, how to choose the perfect venue, details of a typical ceremony, readings, music, songs and vows.

So, if you aren’t religious, have been married before, are the same sex as your partner, or are just after something a little bit different, then a Civil Ceremony could be right up your street.