Civil Weddings

The law now provides for civil marriages to take place in buildings other than a register office that have been approved for this purpose by the Council. An up to date list of such venues for Herefordshire is available on request from any register office in the County or by telephoning 01432 260565.

By law, civil marriages cannot be held in the open air, in a tent or marquee, or in other moveable objects such as boats or hot air balloons. Similarly a civil marriage cannot take place in a building that has a past or present connection with any religion.

If you decide to hold your wedding in an approved premises, you will need to agree the date and time with the owner of the premises (for example, the Manager if it is a hotel) and the Superintendent Registrar of the district in which the premises are located. You can make a booking with the register office up to twelve months before the wedding day. This will make sure that a Superintendent Registrar and Registrar are available for your wedding.

Once a definite date and time has been agreed you will both have to visit the register office for the district in which you live to give notice as explained previously.

The fees for marriages in approved premises are set by the Council to cover the costs involved. This is in addition to any fee charged by the approved premises. The Superintendent Registrar for the district where the wedding will take place can tell you the current fees.

Authorising the Approved Premises is one of the tasks carried out by the Manager for the Registration and Coroner's Services on behalf of the Proper Officer for the Registration Services of the County, Mr Alan McLaughlin. All potential premises are checked for their suitability before issuing the approval.

We are always looking for new venues interested in seeking approval for the solemnisation of marriages especially in the East and West of the County. If you are interested please ring 01432 260565 for further information.