A1.Unfortunately, it is not legal in England,
Wales or Northern Ireland at the moment I'm afraid. You can
only marry in a church, or in a room that has been legally licensed
by the local authority. These days that can mean a stately home,
a permanently moored boat, a fixed three-sided roofed gazebo
or even a cave - so choice is not lacking! Scotland has always
been different - you can marry anywhere a minister deems suitable.
If you want a Scottish civil wedding, the registrars are also
starting to implement a system like England's with licensed
venues.
What I am sure you are thinking of is the Government's
White Paper which proposes just what you are suggesting... but
not yet. The matter hasn't even been debated in parliament yet,
so expect it to be a few years before any changes come into
effect, but when it does, couples would be able to marry practically
anywhere they like, so long as the celebrant made sure that
the venue was safe, appropriate and open to the public (no bungee
jumping or sky diving, I'm afraid!).
(Answered
by Helen Hitchcock)
A2. According to the law at present,
the place where you are to be married has to be licensed. This
may limit your choice of venue. However in your search for a
countryside setting you will find that many manor houses have
parts of their gardens licensed for marriages.
For instance Shuttleworth, Bedfordshire have a
Swiss Garden set amongst acres of manicured parkland. A stunning
place to be married. (See our web site for information). (Answered
by Adeline St-John)
A3. In Scotland, you can marry anywhere at all (indoors, outdoors,
in a hot air balloon!) as long as the ceremony is conducted
by a Minister and is a religious ceremony (usually Church of
Scotland) If you wanted a civil ceremony conducted by a registrar,
you must marry at a licensed venue. There is much more freedom
in Scotland to marry wherever you choose, and if you can be
tempted north then check out my web site for ideas
(Answered by Suzie Gillespie)
