Everything you need to know about having a civil ceremony ‐‐ from making all the necessary arrangements to the day’s proceedings and renewing your vows the civil way.
Everything you need to know for organizing a fabulous, non‐religious wedding
Before you can start having a celebratory knees‐up, popping Champagne corks and excitedly declaring yourself husband and wife, you will need to make sure you have ticked all the legal boxes by organising and attending a wedding ceremony of some sort.
Don’t be daunted though, because the ceremony, (which acts as a public declaration of your commitment to each other), is a cinch to organise, makes a great reason for buying posh new outfits and can be as relaxed as you like.
So how do you get started?
Well, first you will need to choose whether to have a civil or religious wedding ceremony and this will all depend on your personal beliefs.
If neither of you are particularly religious and you both decide you would prefer a non‐religious ceremony, you can choose to hold a civil ceremony instead.
A civil ceremony can be held at any register office in England or Wales, or at any approved venue licensed to hold weddings under the Marriage Act, including many stately homes, prestigious buildings, hotels and restaurants… all of which make great backdrops for your wedding pictures!
Arranging a civil ceremony is really easy and, because you get to choose so many bits and pieces of the ceremony yourself, it can be a great way to reflect your personalities and interests together on your wedding day.
We tell everything you need to know…