Licence a venue for marriages and civil partnerships

We welcome enquiries and applications from all types of venues, not just stately homes and hotels, as couples all have their own individual wishes.

This guidance sets out our arrangements for the licensing of non-religious venues as approved premises. It also offers practical information and guidance to help you manage ceremonies at your venue. You should also give consideration whether you wish to add an outdoor area to your licence.

Before making an application, we encourage you to arrange an initial visit to discuss the arrangements and commitment required. If a site visit isn't carried out before the application is submitted, one will take place once it's received. Payment will not be taken, and the application process won't commence until a site visit has been carried out.

The site visit gives you a good opportunity to meet our ceremonies team who can offer practical advice and answer any questions you may have. The guidance will provide you with information about what the team will be looking for during the site visit.

What happens during a site visit

There are a list of checks carried out during a site visit to consider suitability for premises to be approved for civil marriages and civil partnerships.

Premises check:

The type of premises checks we carry out are to check whether:

• The premises are seemly and a dignified venue for the proceedings
• The premises are regularly available for use for civil marriages and civil partnerships
• The ceremony rooms are identifiable
• There is a room for the Registrar to interview bride/groom
• There is a chair and a table large enough to accommodate the Registrars and paperwork
• There is a person appointed to control any recorded music
• There are parking facilities for Registrars
• There are any religious activities that take place on the premises at any time
• The premises are wheelchair accessible

Responsible person

We like to check that the responsible person is:

• Aware of the conditions and understand the requirement of the role
• Aware of the emergency procedures
• Providing guidance to the wedding party
• Ensuring that there are no naked flames or candles

Linked outdoor area

We like to ensure whether:

• The premises intend to hold ceremonies in a linked outdoor area or outdoor semi-permanent structure
• It is seemly and dignified
• the boundary is identifiable
• They intend to hold ceremonies in semi-permanent structures (such as marquees)
• They understand inclement weather provisions and management of customer expectations and contingency plans.
• Health and safety considerations are taken into account in respect of the linked outdoor area such as; accessibility, hazards, electrical leads and cables, potential falls from height, ground conditions, slips and trips, changes in level and noise.
• Music considerations can be heard in the outdoor area considering the environment and weather
• Sound considerations are taken into account, so guests can hear the ceremony.
• There is room for Registrar to interview the bride/groom.
• A chair and a table are large enough to accommodate the registrar to sign schedule.

Please contact the marriages and civil partnerships ceremonies team to arrange a visit.

The venue needs to be solemn and dignified and be open for public bookings. We encourage you to check the guidance conditions and checklist for what happens at a site visit to make sure you can meet the requirements of the licence once it's approved.

Please think carefully about which rooms and outside areas you would want on the licence, you can have as many rooms as you like included as part of the standard fee. You can also have an outside area if you wish. If in doubt, include the room, there is no requirement that you have to use a particular room or offer it to couples, but if it's licensed it can be used in the event of any unforeseen circumstances in a licensed room.

We advise you to check that you have the correct planning permission to be able to host weddings at your venue. Planning will be consulted during the application process and can object to the approval based on planning regulations.

If you plan on selling alcohol at your venue, then you should make sure you have the correct premises licence in place for those sales. Where you do have the correct premises licence for the sale of alcohol you should also check the conditions attached to that licence as there may be restrictions that would conflict with your plans to host ceremonies.

To obtain a licence, all venues must meet the licence requirements set out in law. These requirements are set out in detail in Appendix 1 (Annex A) requirements for the grant of approval of premises that are not religious premises, with the conditions for all licensed venues, that will be attached following approval, set out in Appendix 2 (Annex C) conditions to be Attached to Grants of Approval of Premises that are not Religious Premises and Appendix 3 (Annex 3) Conditions to be attached to grants of approval of premises which are not religious premises relating to proceedings held in linked outdoor areas for venues with outdoor areas. When we visit the venue we will also be looking for other practical suitability requirements.

Main requirements

• the built venue must be a permanent immovable structure consisting of at least one room, or any boat or other vessel which is permanently moored
• the venue must be in keeping with the solemnity and dignity of the marriage or civil partnership ceremony
• the premises must not be religious premises
• the premises must be regularly available for the solemnisation of civil marriages or the formation of civil partnerships.
• the rooms(s) or area(s) where ceremonies take place must be identifiable and accessible because the public must have unrestricted access to witness the marriage or civil partnership, and make an objection prior to or during the ceremony
• no charge may be made to any member of the public attending a ceremony
• the venue should, where possible, comply with disabled access requirements (however it is accepted that this may not always be possible given the age, construction and style of the building) and if disabled access is not possible then measures must be in place for a disabled objector to voice their concerns.

Freestanding 'gazebo' structures and terraces

Where no outdoor area is licensed, a freestanding or 'gazebo' structure must be permanent and immovable. This will usually be taken to mean a solid floor and a roof.

• the structure must have a brick, stone, concrete or wooden base
• the structure should have a permanent and waterproof roof (which ideally should be tiled, although other coverings will be considered), the roof should be supported by brick, stone, concrete or wood pillars or walls and the space between pillars may have trellising or other decoration
• the structure should be of sufficient size to accommodate a ceremony in comfort for at least the following: two registration staff, one table, at least two chairs, the couple and two witnesses

Within the venue

Within the venue, individual rooms or areas are licensed; ceremonies may only take place within the rooms, or outdoor areas, listed on the licence. There is no limit to the number of rooms that can be approved, however full details must be included in the application.

Whilst the ceremony rooms do not have to be separate from other activities at the venue they must not be affected by any other activity taking place at the venue before and during a ceremony.

The room, or outdoor area, will need to be provided with a table (for signing the legal documents) and a chair. There should also be enough space where the couple, two witnesses and the two registrars will stand.

The ceremony room or area should be ready one hour before the agreed start time for the ceremony.

Interview room

In addition to the ceremony room or outdoor area, a further separate room must be available for a confidential interview with the couple before the ceremony.

1. Contact us to arrange a site visit.
2. Complete and submit the application form and associated documents.
• If a site visit wasn't carried out before the application form was submitted it will be arranged on receipt of your application.
3. Make payment
4. The application will be published on our website for 21 clear days. Objections to the application from local residents and other authorities can be made during this period. At the end of the public consultation period, we will consider any objections. Where objections are made, a suitable hearing for review may be arranged.
5. The application will be sent to:

• Planning - to check the correct permissions are in place to hold ceremonies
• Licensing - to check the correct premises licence in place if there is an intention to sell alcohol
• Environmental health for food hygiene
• West Yorkshire fire and rescue for health and safety matters and safe occupancy figures.