Couples in England and Wales could soon be able to get married on beaches, in gardens and on ships [1] under the biggest overhaul of wedding law since the 19th century.
The Law Commission proposes that weddings should be able to take place in “any safe and dignified location”, such as family homes, gardens, beaches, forests, parks, village halls and cruise ships.
The officiant, not the location, would be regulated, and couples would have more freedom to personalise the content of their ceremony.
The proposed changes would enable couples to wed in “smaller and cheaper” venues, with increasing demand for more affordable, personal options.
The commission says a set of universal rules would apply across religions and civil weddings, and could also include legalising non-religious belief ceremonies such as humanist weddings.