New measures allow couples to tie the knot at any time

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• Getting married outdoors or at home could be legalised in England and Wales under new proposals
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• Food and drinks
• Help us improve GOV.UK
• Legal marriage age raised from 16 to 18 - and adults to face jail for aiding underage weddings
• What are the rules for weddings and receptions, and when will they ease?
• sneaky wedding venue costs that can easily derail your budget

On 30 June, a statutory instrument will be laid to amend the regulations with the change taking effect on 1 July. This follows a commitment made in 2019 to legalise outdoor ceremonies. You can find your nearest register office here for more information. In Northern Ireland, the rules differ slightly; they are allowing weddings to take place if one of the people getting married is terminally ill.

You’ll need to contact the local authorities where you want to get married to find out what you need to do. "My day started today and that day, very early. Anxious both days. Scared both days. Tears both days. Payzee Malika was coerced into marriage and campaigns against child marriage after her sister, Banaz, was murdered in an "honour killing".

Getting married outdoors or at home could be legalised in England and Wales under new proposals

Generally, the premises will need to be permanent built structures, although it may be possible for approval to be given to a permanently moored, publicly open boat. Pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements can be legally binding unless considered to be unfair by the court. You should get advice from a solicitor before you make an agreement. Engagements are mainly for cultural reasons and have limited status. However, they can be used, for example, in immigration law as evidence of intention to marry.

You won't have to give notice of the marriage to the Register Office unless you or your partner are a non-EEA national. If this is the case, you will need to give 28 days notice to the Register Office. You’ll need a visa if you’re travelling to the UK to marry an EEA or British citizen, or someone with settled status in the UK. The type of visa you need depends on where you and your partner are from and how long you want to stay in the UK.

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If you or your partner has been married before, or has been in a civil partnership that is now dissolved, and you want a religious ceremony, you will need to check with an official of the relevant religion. Same sex couples can only marry in a religious ceremony, if the religious organisation has agreed to carry out same sex weddings, and the premises have been registered for the marriage of same sex couples. Religious organisations or individual ministers do not have to marry same sex couples. Same sex couples cannot marry in The Church of England or the Church in Wales. Marriage laws are under review and by 2021, couples could have a wider choice of al fresco wedding venues. For now, here are some of the most beautiful outdoor wedding venues in the UK.

"That is why we asked the Law Commission to look at the laws around weddings to ensure they better reflect modern society, and we look forward to the outcome of this important consultation." Any official celebrant can marry a couple as opposed to a minister of religion or a registrar. Family law commissioner Professor Nick Hopkins said the current regulations in the Marriage Act 1836 are outdated and out of step with the more modern takes of Scotland, Ireland and the Channel Islands. Due to the difficulties posed by COVID-19 and the possibility that future emergencies may pose similar challenges, the commission proposed remote weddings as an option, even when the couple are physically separate.

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Witnesses must understand the language of the ceremony and have the mental capacity to understand what's taking place. You can find more information on coming to the UK to marry on GOV.UK. The Wedding Secret is an online resource and community which connects prospective brides and grooms with specialist wedding businesses in their local area. Although you must say the words above, you can say more and add a personal touch to your wedding.

The police can also apply for a Forced Marriage Protection Order. If someone breaks the order, it is a criminal offence and they could be sent to prison for up to five years in England and Wales. If you're afraid that you or someone else may be forced into marriage in the UK or overseas, you should contact the Forced Marriage Unit for advice.

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The declaration makes sure that there is no reason against your marriage. Find out what you need to do if you’re coming to the UK to get married.

These include both partners, two witnesses , the person who is registering the marriage and – if different – the person who conducted the ceremony. The person marrying the couple must be registered by the Registrar General. Otherwise if someone else conducts the ceremony then the registrar must be available to sign the register. Prescribed words would be scrapped to give couples "greater freedom" and civil ceremonies would be allowed to include religious elements, such as hymns and readings. The Law Commission of England and Wales wants legally binding wedding locations to include beaches, parks, private gardens, cruise ships and the outdoor spaces of licensed venues.

Same sex couples cannot marry in the Church of England or the Church in Wales. When planning your ideal wedding ceremony in the UK it is essential to look carefully at the legality of the situation at the outset to avoid disappointment. The present rules about what you can and can’t do are complex and surprising!

Coronavirus has changed life as we know it and one sector that's been hit harder than most is the wedding industry. With weddings cancelled - or reduced to smaller numbers - for the majority of lockdown, people were forced to postpone their big day. If you are being forced into marriage or are already in a forced marriage, you can apply to the county court for a Forced Marriage Protection Order to protect you.

"By giving couples more control over their weddings and ensuring greater parity for all beliefs, the law can support those who want to get married, rather than putting unnecessary barriers in the way." Calum answers all these questions and more, including how to keep costs down. In England and Wales, a venue must hold a marriage licence in order for the ceremony to be legally binding. Anyone wishing to marry or register a civil partnership outside the hours of 8am to 6pm will be able to do so from 1 October 2012, thanks to measures in the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012.

They are marriages which do not meet the requirements of United Kingdom law. An example of a void marriage is one where the partners may not marry because they are related. A polygamous marriage is one where a man can marry more than one wife. A polygamous marriage between partners, one or both of whom are domiciled in England or Wales is not valid. The concept of ‘domicile’ is very complex and does not necessarily mean ‘living in’ a country.

What are the rules for weddings and receptions, and when will they ease?

You can find out more about getting married in the Church of England on the Church of England website at People who wish to marry in the UK in a Register office in England and Wales must give notice at a Register Office. If you are subject to immigration control, you can give notice at any Register Office in England and Wales. Everyone wishing to marry in a Register Office must provide proof of their nationality.