Wedding law in England and Wales is built on rules dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries – and it shows. Under the current system, there are different rules for different groups, strict restrictions on where couples can marry, and tight controls over how a ceremony can be conducted. For example, a marriage or civil partnership must take place at an approved venue to be legally valid, and neither Humanist nor independent celebrants can conduct legally binding ceremonies in England and Wales at all.
As a result, many couples are either forced into marrying in a way that doesn’t reflect their beliefs, or they end up paying for two separate ceremonies: one legal, the other meaningful. It’s no wonder the Law Commission described the system as “inconsistent and complicated, inefficient, unfair and needlessly restrictive.”
Change has been a long time coming. Following the Law Commission’s landmark 2022 report, ‘Celebrating Marriage: A New Weddings Law’, the government committed in October 2025 to reform weddings law. Then, in July 2026, it took the next step, launching an open public consultation: ‘Tying the Knot: Reforming Weddings Law in England and Wales.’
At the heart of the proposed reforms are two key shifts. The first is a move away from a system built around where a wedding takes place (the approved building) towards one centred on who conducts it (the officiant). The second is the introduction of universal rules applying across different types of wedding (with the exception of Anglican ceremonies), significantly reducing the disparities between groups. Together, these changes have the potential to make weddings simpler, fairer and far more personal.
Why the location-based system should go
Under the current law, a wedding ceremony is only legally valid if it takes place in an approved venue – a register office, a licensed church, or premises granted approval by a local authority under the Marriages and Civil Partnerships (Approved Premises) Regulations 2005. The proposed reform would fix this. Rather than regulating weddings by the building in which they take place, the new system would place responsibility on the officiant – the person conducting the ceremony.
Where could couples marry?
Under the proposals, couples could legally marry almost anywhere, from forests and beaches to castles and canal boats. That said, the government is clear that freedom doesn’t mean a free-for-all. The consultation proposes a structured ‘dignity framework’, placing a legal responsibility on officiants to ensure that the ceremony upholds the significance of marriage. Some settings (think rollercoasters or skydiving) would likely fall foul of this framework, deemed by the government to be gimmicks that risk trivialising the legal act of marriage.
The case for independent celebrants
Perhaps the most significant and overdue element of the proposed reform is the potential authorisation of independent and Humanist celebrants to conduct legally binding marriages. Although it’s worth drawing a distinction here, as we aren’t in the same position.
Humanist celebrants (those affiliated with Humanists UK) already have the legal right to conduct binding marriages in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland. In England and Wales, that recognition is absent, but the government’s consultation makes clear that non-religious belief organisations, including Humanists, are very much expected to be brought within the new framework. For Humanist celebrants, the direction of travel is encouraging and the destination feels close.
Independent celebrants are a different story, and this is where your voice really matters. Independent celebrants are not affiliated with any religious or belief organisation. They work across faiths, across none, and across everything in between. They are often chosen because they can build a ceremony entirely around the couple, with no doctrinal constraints. And yet, under the current law, they can’t conduct a legally binding ceremony anywhere in the UK.
The consultation document shines a light on exactly why this matters. It notes that couples with different religious affiliations, or where one partner has no religion (estimated at 21% of relationships) may face particular challenges in having a wedding that accommodates their beliefs. For many of these couples, an independent celebrant is the only officiant who can create a ceremony that genuinely honours both partners.
The good news is that the government’s consultation does propose that independent celebrants be authorised to conduct legally binding weddings, and the tone is broadly positive. But it is a proposal, not a promise, and it is open to challenge. People’s responses will directly inform the legislation that follows. Those who oppose the inclusion of independent celebrants – and there are organised voices doing exactly that – are already making their case. It’s vital that those who support us do the same.
How to help
The consultation closes on 24 September 2026 and is open to everyone. If you want to show your support, head to consult.justice.gov.uk/family-justice/reforming-weddings-law-in-england-and-wales and go to Question 27, which asks about the authorisation of independent celebrants. For more information, visit the official website of the Give Couples Choice movement.
