Non-religious ceremony

We have been engaged and living together for 4 years and we both love the idea of a hawaiin themed wedding. We have a problem with venues though! We are both not religious and are not wanting to marry at the registery office. My parents have bought a new house, a bungalow with a very large garden. We had set out sights on getting married within the gardens but have been told by various people when discussing this that it would be impossible for us to do this.

Does anyone know anyway around this, whether it would be possible to get a licence to do this?




A1.To get a licence for a wedding venue is not cheap and it then needs to be available to anyone who wants to use it! Exceptions are really only made in dire cases such as where one person is housebound.

One way around this would be to do the 'formalities' at your local registry office and then hold a humanist ceremony in your parents garden. These ceremonies are absolutely beautiful as you can say what you want to say, use music that you want to use and involve anyone you want in any way you want. You could contact a local celebrant via www.humanism.org.uk to find out more. I've worked on a few humanist weddings now and every one has been fantastic as they're so incredibly personal.

Best of luck and I hope you get the day of your dreams.
(Answered by Tamryn Kirby)


A2. One way around the problem which we have used in the past for couple who wish to do something like this is to have a humanist ceremony, then you can write your own vows and the freedom is there to create the wedding of your choice you can find out more at http://www.ceremony.org.uk/wedding.htm Vivienne C Donnithorne is just one celebrant in the UK alternative you can look at www.humanist.org.uk
(Answered by Helen Hitchcock)


A3. Under current UK law, it is not possible to marry anywhere other than in a church or licensed premises however, there are changes due to be introduced in 2005 that will mean that the person conducting the ceremony has to be licensed but not the venue.
If you have set your hearts on a Hawaiian theme and are prepared to wait, this could be the answer.
Alternatively, you could still have a ceremony at a register office followed by a reception in your parents' garden.
I hope this goes some way to helping you in your decision. Good luck with your plans
(Answered by Joh Ashman)



A4. You can have a marriage ceremony in your back garden... You can have a
Humanist ceremony, which isn't legal in its own right, although you can
completely tailor it to your requirements, writing your own vows and
ceremony! To make the marriage legal, you would have to visit the local
Register Office, to go through all the paperwork elements. So, you could
have a small quiet ceremeny at the Registrars, then whatever kind of wedding
ceremony you like in your back garden!

There are plans to relax the registration from the building (or room) being
licenced, to the officiant being licenced... but that isn't imminent, so it
might depend on when you are thinking of holding the wedding.

My advice would be to approach your local Register Office, and take guidance from them. For information, Humanist celebrants can be found on the web via the British Humanist Association:
http://www.humanism.org.uk/site/cms/contentviewarticle.asp?article=1175
(Answered by Emma Pirie)



A5. Couples can get married almost anywhere these days, I think it is a lovely idea and I'm sure your parents would be delighted to host your wedding. That would make it extra special.

It is unlikely that a minister would marry you in your parents garden, but your local registrar would.
All you need to do is visit your local registry office and explain what your plans are. They should be able to offer a civil ceremony in your parents garden. You would register your marriage as normal and tell them your chosen venue - your parents house. There may be an additional fee for this, for extra travelling, time out of their office etc.

I don't know where you live therefore it is difficult to point you in the right direction. May I also suggest as I do not know your climate, that you put a marquee in half the garden (in event of bad weather), if it is a gloriously sunny day your guests will have the choice to sip their champagne on the lawn or in the shade.

Good Luck with your plans.
(Answered by Mrs S)