Understanding the Proposed Wedding Law Reforms in England and Wales
This guide is for wedding venues and suppliers that want to understand the proposed reforms to wedding law in England and Wales and identify the commercial opportunities and risks they may create.
If you would rather watch or listen to the webinar you can access it below.
Nothing has changed in law yet. These are Government proposals under consultation, not legislation. Couples should continue planning their weddings as normal, and businesses should avoid creating unnecessary uncertainty.
However, the direction of travel is now sufficiently clear that venues, celebrants, planners and suppliers should begin thinking strategically about how the proposed reforms could affect their businesses in the future.
This guide explains what the Government has proposed, what remains undecided, and what those proposals could mean commercially. It draws on the Ministry of Justice consultation Tying the Knot: Reforming Weddings Law in England and Wales, discussions with the Ministry of Justice policy team, and content from our recent webinar for wedding businesses.
The Four Core Proposed Changes
1. Moving from a Venue-Based System to an Officiant-Based System
The most significant proposal is a fundamental change in where legal responsibility for a wedding would sit.
Under the current system, legal weddings are largely tied to approved premises. If the proposals are implemented, responsibility would instead move away from the building and towards an authorised officiant.
Rather than the venue itself determining whether a wedding ceremony can take place, the authorised officiant would become responsible for ensuring that the legal requirements are met, that the ceremony complies with the law, and that the chosen location satisfies the proposed dignity framework.
If implemented, this could allow legal weddings to take place in a much wider range of locations than is currently possible. Examples discussed within the consultation and the wider proposals include:
- private homes
- farms
- pubs & restaurants
- boats
- beaches
- woodland settings
provided the legal requirements are satisfied and the officiant considers the location appropriate under the dignity framework.
For wedding businesses, this represents one of the most significant potential commercial changes within the entire package of reforms.
Many businesses that have previously been unable to host legal ceremonies could, for the first time, become part of the legal wedding market. At the same time, existing approved venues may face increased competition from a much broader range of locations.
That does not necessarily mean traditional venues become less attractive. Established venues continue to offer significant advantages, including dedicated ceremony spaces, experienced staff, weather contingency, catering, accessibility, accommodation, licensing expertise and operational support. Those advantages remain valuable regardless of where the legal authority sits.
Important fact
This is currently a proposal only. It does not mean every location will automatically become suitable for legal weddings. The proposed legislation still requires legal safeguards to be met, and authorised officiants would carry responsibility for determining whether an individual location is appropriate.
2. The Proposed Dignity Framework
One of the key proposals accompanying the move to an officiant-based system is the introduction of a new dignity framework.
Rather than relying on highly prescriptive rules about approved premises, the Government proposes a broader framework requiring authorised officiants to ensure that weddings are conducted in settings that preserve the dignity and seriousness of marriage.
The consultation makes clear that this framework is intended to provide greater flexibility while maintaining public confidence in legal marriage.
Under the proposals, authorised officiants would be responsible for considering matters such as:
- the suitability of the location
- safety
- weather conditions
- accessibility
- whether the surroundings are appropriate for a legal marriage
- whether the conduct and content of the ceremony maintain the required dignity and solemnity.
The aim is not to remove standards but to replace rigid venue rules with professional judgement exercised by trained and regulated officiants.
This reflects one of the central themes running throughout the consultation: moving away from detailed regulation of buildings towards regulation of the people conducting legal weddings.
Commercially, this creates opportunities for a much wider variety of venues while ensuring that flexibility is balanced by professional responsibility.
For businesses considering entering the wedding market, the message is therefore not simply "anywhere becomes possible". Instead, it becomes "appropriate locations may become possible where an authorised officiant is satisfied that the legal requirements are met."
Important fact
The dignity framework applies to far more than the physical venue. It also covers the suitability of the setting, the conduct of the ceremony and the overall seriousness and dignity of the legal marriage.
3. Expressing Consent and Greater Personalisation
Another important proposal concerns the way couples express their legal consent to marry.
For civil ceremonies, the proposals retain a short legal expression of consent, but introduce much greater flexibility in how those words may be expressed.
Rather than requiring couples to repeat an exact prescribed script, the proposal allows "words to the same effect." The legal test therefore becomes whether there is clear, informed and lawful consent, rather than strict adherence to particular wording.
This creates sensible flexibility in situations such as:
- ceremonies conducted in different languages
- sign language
- speech affected by a stammer
- speech affected by conditions such as Tourette's syndrome
- any other situation where consent can still be communicated clearly and understood by the officiant.
For religious and non-religious belief ceremonies, the proposals go further by allowing consent to be expressed through a recognised symbolic act or ritual rather than spoken words.
However, an important safeguard remains.
The symbolic act cannot simply be any gesture chosen by the couple. It must already be recognised within that religion or belief organisation as the point at which marriage is understood to take place.
For example, where a faith or belief group already recognises a particular ritual as creating the marriage, that established symbolic act could become the legal expression of consent.
This approach is intended to respect long-established religious and belief traditions while preserving legal certainty.
For officiants and celebrants, greater personalisation also creates an opportunity to explain the traditions and significance of their ceremonies more clearly, allowing couples to choose an officiant whose approach best reflects their own beliefs and preferences, and the potential to incorporate different religions and beliefs into one ceremony.
Important fact
The proposals increase flexibility in how legal consent may be expressed. They do not reduce the requirement for consent to be clear, informed and lawful.
4. The Modernised Two-Stage Notice Process
The consultation also proposes significant changes to the way couples give notice of marriage.
Instead of today's largely paper-based arrangements, couples would complete a two-stage process.
The first stage would be completed online, allowing identity documents and other information to be submitted digitally.
The second stage would require a compulsory face-to-face interview with the registration service before the marriage could proceed.
The Ministry of Justice has been clear that this proposal is intended to strengthen, rather than weaken, safeguards against forced, predatory and sham marriage.
The consultation also proposes that authorised officiants receive training enabling them to recognise safeguarding concerns and refuse to proceed with a ceremony where appropriate.
The proposed reforms therefore seek to combine greater flexibility in where and how weddings take place with stronger protections for vulnerable individuals.
Three Further Proposals Businesses Should Understand
Alongside the four principal proposed changes, the consultation contains three further proposals that could have significant implications for the wedding industry.
Although these proposals have received less attention than the move to an officiant-based system, they are likely to influence how businesses operate if the reforms are implemented.
5. Voluntary Venue Pre-authorisation
One proposal that is still being developed is the introduction of voluntary venue pre-authorisation.
Under an officiant-based system, responsibility for deciding whether a venue is suitable would normally sit with the authorised officiant. The consultation therefore asks whether venues should instead be able to apply for voluntary pre-authorisation, allowing officiants to have confidence that the venue has already been assessed against the relevant standards.
The proposal is intended to reduce duplication by avoiding multiple officiants having to assess the same venue independently.
During discussions with the Ministry of Justice policy team, the suggestion that venues already approved under the current system might automatically receive some form of pre-authorisation was positively received. However, it is important to stress that this remains only an idea discussed with officials. It is not Government policy.
Commercially, voluntary pre-authorisation could become a useful quality mark, providing reassurance to officiants and couples that a venue has already demonstrated its suitability.
Whether it becomes widely used will depend entirely on how the final scheme is designed.
Important fact
Voluntary venue pre-authorisation remains under consultation. No decisions have yet been made on the process, criteria, costs or duration of approval.
6. Independent Officiants
Perhaps the proposal receiving the greatest public attention is the creation of authorised independent officiants.
Under the proposals, independent officiants could, for the first time, become authorised to conduct legal weddings.
In addition, non-religious belief organisations, including humanists, would be able to nominate officiants to conduct legal ceremonies.
This represents a significant change to the current system, where independent celebrants cannot conduct legally binding weddings.
It is important, however, to distinguish between the title "celebrant" and legal authorisation.
The consultation does not propose protecting the title "celebrant", nor does it suggest that everyone who currently calls themselves a celebrant would automatically become authorised to conduct legal marriages.
Instead, authorisation would depend upon meeting whatever requirements are ultimately established through legislation and subsequent regulation.
Those requirements are expected to include matters such as:
- training
- regulation
- suitability or "fit and proper" person requirements
- insurance
- and any other standards introduced through the final regulatory framework.
Until those requirements are established, nobody can assume they will automatically qualify.
For existing celebrants, however, there is a clear commercial direction of travel.
Businesses that continue developing their reputation, building professional relationships with venues and planners, collecting reviews and demonstrating high professional standards are likely to be in the strongest position to benefit from the changes when they come into effect.
The proposals also create opportunities for venues.
There will be a clear benefit to venues with close working relationships with trusted officiants, enabling them to offer couples more seamless ceremony packages while still allowing couples freedom of choice.
Important fact
The title "celebrant" is not proposed to become a protected title. The important distinction is whether an individual has been authorised to conduct legally binding ceremonies.
7. Regulation, Training and Ongoing Accountability
The final major proposal concerns the regulation of authorised officiants.
Throughout the consultation, the Ministry of Justice makes clear that increased flexibility must be matched by increased professional responsibility.
If the proposals become law, authorisation would bring legal duties as well as new commercial opportunities.
Authorised officiants would be expected to meet ongoing regulatory requirements and remain accountable for the legal ceremonies they conduct.
Although the final regulatory framework has not yet been determined, the consultation envisages a system involving appropriate training, oversight and continuing accountability.
This reflects one of the central principles underpinning the reforms.
Rather than regulating buildings through detailed licensing requirements, the proposed system places greater trust in trained and regulated professionals who carry legal responsibility for ensuring that marriages are conducted lawfully.
For businesses, this is an important distinction.
The proposals are not simply about greater creativity or more personalised ceremonies.
They also represent a move towards greater professional responsibility, with authorised officiants expected to exercise judgement, uphold legal standards and comply with an ongoing regulatory framework.
For celebrants considering future authorisation, professionalism will become increasingly important.
Training, continuing professional development, safeguarding awareness and strong working relationships across the industry are all likely to become more valuable as the new framework develops.
Important fact
Greater flexibility is accompanied by greater responsibility. The consultation proposes that authorised officiants should be trained, regulated and accountable for the legal ceremonies they conduct.
What Happens Next?
Understanding the Government Process and Likely Timeline
One of the most common questions from businesses is when these reforms are likely to happen.
The honest answer is that nobody can yet provide a definite implementation date.
However, the Ministry of Justice explained the process that the proposals must follow before any changes to the law can take effect.
The 10 week consultation period from July to September 2026 allows individuals, businesses and organisations to provide feedback on the proposals. Its purpose is to identify practical issues, test the proposals against real-world experience and refine the legislation before it reaches Parliament.
Following the 10 week consultation, ending 24th September 2026, the Government will consider the responses and decide whether any amendments are required before preparing legislation.
Only once legislation has been drafted can it be introduced to Parliament.
At that point it would still need to pass through the normal Parliamentary process, including scrutiny by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, before receiving Royal Assent.
Even after legislation has passed, implementation would not be immediate.
The Ministry of Justice has indicated that a significant implementation period would be required to prepare supporting systems, including new information technology, administrative processes and the regulatory framework that would oversee authorised officiants.
The expectation is that a regulator - most likely the General Register Office, or potentially the Ministry of Justice itself - would oversee the new system.
Taken together, these stages mean that implementation remains several years away.
During the webinar, we suggested that, assuming the consultation progresses broadly as expected, legislation could potentially be introduced during the next Parliamentary session. Even under an optimistic timetable, implementation would still require further preparation before the new system could begin operating.
Based on the information currently available, the earliest realistic implementation window appears to be during 2029, with April 2030 remaining, in our view, a more likely expectation.
That estimate is based on the Government's legislative process, the likely time required to establish regulation and IT systems, and previous experience of implementing major changes to marriage law.
Importantly, however, this remains an informed estimate rather than an official timetable.
Important fact
No implementation date has been announced. Businesses should continue operating as normal while monitoring future Government announcements and preparing gradually for possible changes.
The Commercial Implications on Wedding Businesses
These proposals are designed to increase flexibility and choice for couples, and the government predicts a 3% increase in weddings and an extra £150 million boost to the wedding economy.
While some businesses are likely to face increased competition, others could benefit from entirely new commercial opportunities.
The impact will not be the same across the industry. Some sectors are likely to experience relatively modest changes, while others may see significant shifts in the way couples choose to organise their weddings.
The following sections consider the likely commercial implications for each major part of the wedding industry.
Existing Approved Wedding Venues
Approved wedding venues have understandably received the greatest attention since the consultation was published.
Much of the public discussion has focused on whether allowing legal weddings in a wider range of locations will reduce demand for established venues.
Based on both the consultation and discussions with the Ministry of Justice, we believe that concern should be viewed in context.
The proposal changes where legal authority sits. It does not remove the reasons why couples choose established wedding venues.
Professional venues continue to offer advantages that cannot easily be replicated elsewhere.
These include:
- exclusive use
- experienced event staff
- multiple ceremony and reception spaces
- weather contingency
- catering facilities
- licensed bars
- guest accommodation
- accessibility
- established supplier relationships
- health and safety procedures
- security
- parking
- and the operational experience needed to deliver complex wedding days successfully.
For many couples, those practical considerations are likely to remain more important than simply having the legal ceremony in an alternative location.
During our webinar we also discussed experience from the Gilchrist Collection, who have venues here and in the United States, where officiant-based systems already operate.
Despite the greater legal flexibility available there, couples continue overwhelmingly to choose established wedding venues because they provide a controlled environment capable of delivering an entire wedding day, rather than simply the legal ceremony.
The legal location may become more flexible, but couples still value convenience, certainty and professional delivery.
Commercial insight
Established venues should avoid marketing emphasis on being approved to conduct legal ceremonies. Instead, they should focus their marketing on the complete experience they provide.
Reviewing Your Unique Selling Proposition
One of the biggest strategic changes for existing venues is the need to review how they position themselves within the market.
For many years, being an approved venue has been a significant marketing advantage.
If the proposed reforms are implemented, that alone is unlikely to remain a meaningful point of difference.
Businesses should therefore begin reviewing their marketing now.
Ask yourself:
Why do couples actually choose us?
If the answer is simply that you are licensed for legal ceremonies, your marketing may need to evolve.
Instead, focus on the advantages that are much harder for new competitors to replicate.
These might include:
- privacy and exclusivity
- experienced wedding teams
- flexibility of indoor and outdoor spaces
- contingency planning
- guest accommodation
- catering quality
- trusted supplier relationships
- reputation
- reviews
- years of experience
- consistently delivering successful weddings.
These are the qualities that continue to add value regardless of where legal responsibility sits.
Operational Strength Becomes More Valuable
One of the recurring themes throughout the consultation is that legal flexibility does not remove practical reality.
While a couple may legally be able to marry in a much wider range of locations, that does not necessarily mean those locations are operationally straightforward.
Professional venues already solve problems that many couples never even consider.
These include:
- adverse weather
- guest comfort
- accessibility
- parking
- power supply
- catering logistics
- toilets
- waste management
- supplier access
- staffing
- licensing requirements
- contingency planning.
Many alternative locations may initially appear attractive but become significantly more complicated once these practical considerations are taken into account.
Marketing Should Evolve, Not Retreat
Periods of uncertainty often encourage businesses to reduce marketing expenditure or delay investment.
Experience suggests that this is a risky strategy, and disadvantages the business at the very moment they need to be visible.
Following the COVID pandemic, the businesses that recovered most successfully were those that maintained visibility while competitors became quieter.
The same principle is likely to apply here.
Businesses should continue investing consistently in their visibility, reputation and digital presence.
This includes:
- maintaining strong directory listings
- publishing useful website content
- strengthening reviews
- ensuring business information is consistent across multiple platforms
- continuing to build authority within AI-powered search.
During the webinar we shared practical measures for businesses, and we will repeat the relevant sections at the UK Wedding Conferences.
Visibility established now will benefit businesses before any legislative changes take effect, and is the most pro-active approach a business can take right now.
Building Relationships with Officiants
Another important commercial opportunity is developing relationships with celebrants who may eventually become authorised officiants.
If the proposals become law, couples may increasingly choose an officiant before selecting a venue, rather than the other way around.
That has the potential to create a new type of referral relationship within the wedding industry.
Venues should therefore begin identifying experienced celebrants whose values, professionalism and style align with their own business, and the couples that marry there.
Those relationships could eventually become just as valuable as existing relationships with photographers, caterers and wedding planners.
Equally, celebrants who already know a venue well are likely to understand its practical strengths, making it easier to deliver a seamless experience for couples.
This does not mean limiting couples' choice.
Rather, it allows venues to recommend trusted professionals while remaining open to other authorised officiants chosen by the couple.
Creating a New "Flow"
The proposals may also create new opportunities within established venues.
Registrar interview rooms are no longer required, so could be used differently in future, for example:
- additional preparation room
- expanded reception space
- improved guest facilities such as a quiet room
- a green room for suppliers
More couples may choose to have the ceremony elsewhere - arriving at the venue for the drinks reception, wedding breakfast and evening celebrations. For high-demand exclusive-use venues, the new "flow" could offer various benefits:
- preparation rooms not required
- ceremony space can be used for the drinks reception
- late check-out or brunch options for the previous wedding
- morning show-rounds can take place
At this stage, however, it is too early to make major structural changes. Until legislation has been passed and implementation arrangements are confirmed, businesses should continue operating exactly as they do today.
Important fact
Nothing in the consultation requires existing approved venues to alter their current operations. Any future changes should be planned gradually as more information becomes available.
New Venue Types and Emerging Opportunities
Perhaps the greatest commercial opportunity created by the proposed reforms is for businesses that have previously been unable to host legal wedding ceremonies.
The consultation envisages legal weddings taking place in a much broader range of locations, provided the officiant is satisfied that the legal requirements have been met and the location complies with the dignity framework.
Examples discussed throughout the consultation and our webinar include:
- private homes
- gardens
- farms
- vineyards
- woodland
- beaches
- restaurants
- pubs
- hotels without ceremony licences
- historic buildings
- museums
- galleries
- boats
- and many other locations that are currently unable to host legal ceremonies.
However, entering that market should not be viewed as simply making a space available.
A successful wedding venue requires far more than an attractive setting.
Additional Considerations for New Venues
Couples do not buy a legal ceremony in isolation. They buy an experience.
It would be a mistake to focus on the attraction of being able to host legal ceremonies without fully appreciating everything that established venues already provide, such as:
- guest arrival
- accessibility
- weather planning
- parking
- power supply
- toilet facilities
- catering
- supplier access
- waste management
- insurance
- health and safety
- staffing
- and overall guest experience.
These practical considerations remain just as important under the proposed reforms as they are today.
The legislation may become more flexible, but couples will still expect a professionally organised wedding day.
While practical considerations remain important, greater flexibility is nevertheless likely to encourage innovation across the wedding industry.
Businesses may begin developing ceremony spaces that have never previously been commercially viable.
For example:
- Farms may create permanent outdoor ceremony areas, or repurpose barns.
- Pubs and restaurants may begin offering intimate legal weddings in private dining rooms.
- Hotels that have never sought approval under the current system may decide to enter the wedding market.
- Historic properties, gardens and visitor attractions may see new opportunities to diversify their income.
The proposals significantly widen the range of locations that could potentially become part of the wedding market.
Commercial insight
The opportunity is not simply to host weddings. It is to create a complete wedding experience that offers couples confidence as well as flexibility.
Independent Celebrants
Independent celebrants are likely to be among the businesses with the greatest opportunity if these proposals eventually become law.
For many years, celebrants have been able to deliver highly personalised ceremonies but not the legal marriage itself. The proposed introduction of authorised independent officiants could, for the first time, allow suitably authorised celebrants to conduct both the legal marriage and the ceremony in a single event.
Celebrancy will become a regulated profession with legal responsibilities, training and ongoing accountability.
What should celebrants do to prepare?
While it is too early to second guess training requirements, there is no need to wait for legislation before strengthening professional relationships with venues, planners and other suppliers. Those relationships already generate referrals today and are likely to become even more valuable.
Any celebrant that is not already a member of the UK Wedding Association should consider joining. It offers a cost-effective effective way to access an extensive professional network, demonstrate professionalism through business benchmarking and access free professional development.
Wedding Planners and Other Suppliers
Greater flexibility over where weddings can take place is also likely to give couples significantly more choice. While that is positive, it also introduces greater complexity. Couples may need advice on venues, logistics, timings, supplier coordination and contingency planning in a way they have not previously considered.
For wedding planners, the proposals are likely to create opportunity, with increased operational complexity of weddings - especially those outdoors or at home - fuelling demand.
Experienced planners are well placed to provide that guidance, helping couples turn greater flexibility into a well-organised and enjoyable wedding day.
For photographers, florists, entertainers, caterers, cake designers, transport providers and many other suppliers, the direct legal impact of the proposals is likely to be limited.
Indirectly, however, a broader range of venues entering the market may create new commercial opportunities. Suppliers who establish relationships with emerging venues, independent celebrants and planners are likely to benefit from a more diverse and competitive wedding industry.
Ultimately, the proposals reinforce something planners already know: successful weddings depend on collaboration between experienced professionals.
Again, membership of the UK Wedding Association will help planners access the networks and information they need to benefit from the increased demand.
What Should Wedding Businesses Do Now?
Although these proposals represent the most significant review of wedding law for generations, there is no need for businesses to make immediate changes.
The consultation is one stage in a much longer legislative process. There will be further Government consideration, legislation, Parliamentary scrutiny and implementation before any reforms take effect.
That does not mean businesses should ignore the proposals. Instead, this is an opportunity to prepare thoughtfully while continuing to operate as normal.
- Continue Delivering Excellent Weddings
The legal framework may change in the future, but the qualities that make a successful wedding business remain exactly the same.
Excellent customer service, professionalism, reliability and attention to detail will continue to be the foundations of a successful business regardless of how weddings are regulated.
The best preparation for tomorrow is continuing to deliver outstanding weddings today.
- Review Your Marketing
Businesses should take the opportunity to review how they present themselves to prospective couples.
If your marketing relies heavily on being a licensed venue, consider whether your wider strengths are being communicated clearly enough.
Couples choose venues for many reasons beyond the legal ceremony. Beautiful surroundings, exceptional service, experienced staff, trusted suppliers, accommodation, catering and peace of mind remain powerful selling points regardless of future legislative change.
Equally, celebrants, planners and suppliers should continue emphasising the experience, expertise and professionalism they bring to every wedding.
- Strengthen Professional Relationships
Venues, celebrants, planners and suppliers all benefit from strong professional relationships.
Those relationships already generate recommendations and referrals today. If the proposals are implemented, they may become even more valuable as businesses work together within a more flexible legal framework.
- Stay Informed
The details of these proposals will continue to evolve.
We'll keep our clients updated, and check where needed with the Ministry of Justice policy team and other reliable sources, rather than listen to speculation or social media commentary.
Understanding the reforms as they develop will enable businesses to make informed decisions when the time is right.
- Don't Rush Into Change
Nothing has changed in law yet.
Businesses should avoid making significant investments based solely on proposals.
Instead, use the coming years to understand the reforms, strengthen your business and be ready to adapt if and when the new framework is introduced.
Conclusion
The proposals set out in Tying the Knot represent the most significant review of wedding law in England and Wales for generations.
For wedding businesses, these proposals create both opportunities and challenges. New venues may enter the market, independent celebrants could gain a route to legal authorisation, and established businesses may need to adapt to a more competitive landscape.
What is unlikely to change is what couples value most.
They will continue to look for experienced professionals who provide confidence, excellent service and memorable wedding experiences. Those qualities will remain just as important under any future legal framework as they are today
Frequently Asked Questions
How long has the law commission review of marriage laws been going on?
- The review of wedding laws in England and Wales began in 2015.
- In September 2020, the Law Commission published their initial consultation paper and held a 4 month public consultation online.
- In May 2021, the way marriages are registered in England and Wales changed to a new digital system.
- In April 2022, the temporary law to allow for outdoor weddings in approved premises became a permanent law.
- In July 2022, the Law Commission published their recommendations.
- In March 2026, the government reaffirmed their commitment to overhaul marriage law.
- In July 2026 the 10 week consultation period began.
July 2026 Update:
The consultation document was published on 16th July 2026, and a 10 week consultation period started, running to 24th September 2026 Read the consultation
March 2026 Update:
On 12 March 2026, MPs debated the modernisation of marriage regulations in a Westminster Hall parliamentary session, reaffirming that reform of wedding law remains on the Government's agenda. During the debate, the Minister for Courts and Legal Services confirmed that the Government intends to move forward with the major overhaul of weddings law in England and Wales first announced in 2024, based on the Law Commission's 2022 report Celebrating Marriage: A New Weddings Law.
July 2022 Update
In July 2022, the Law Commission published their recommendation for wedding law reform.
Alison Hargreaves, Guides for Brides CEO, and Sophie Easton of the Association of Independent Celebrants discussed key questions around these initial recommendations:
The recommendations include a complete change to marriage laws in England and Wales from the foundations up. Their proposals aim to remove the many unnecessary restrictions that couples face when getting married or forming a civil partnership in England and Wales. The recommendations offer greater freedom to couples, allowing them more choice when it comes to their wedding and addressing the inequality that many groups currently face.
In short, the recommendations of the Law Commission propose that the system change from the current regulation of buildings to one that is based on regulation of the person officiating the ceremony. These changes would bring the laws of England and Wales in line with Scotland, Northern Ireland and Jersey as well as countries such as New Zealand and Canada.