Civil Weddings
Since the 1994 Marriage Act, couples who decide not to get married in a church are no longer limited to a register office. They can also marry at an approved venue and have the full, traditional white wedding with the bride being given ‘away’ and bridesmaids.
A wedding in Cornwall can take place at approved premises on any day of the week including Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays. Cornwall has more than 80 licensed venues to choose from. If you want a traditional country wedding Cornwall offers magnificent historic manor houses, stately homes and country house hotels. If you are looking for contemporary chic, Cornwall also offers venues with cutting edge design and style. If you are looking for a really unusual and unique setting, then Cornwall has it – castles, ancient caverns with subterranean lake, a tin mine or a Napoleonic fort – your imagination can go wild choosing a theme. Of course, Cornwall’s outstanding coastline and breathtaking sea views give a perfect backdrop for a romantic, relaxing wedding.
Cornwall Registration Service provides registrars to carry out the legal requirements at your chosen venue and will also be able to help you design your ceremony around what is important to you - you will have the chance to add your own personal features to the big day. A wedding at an approved venue does offer certain advantages. The ceremony, reception, entertainment and family events can all take place at the same venue. This means that your entire day can be in one place with exclusive use of the venue and its facilities. This means that staff will be dedicated to looking after your individual requirements and ensuring that the preparations, and especially the wedding arrangements, run smoothly. As many of the approved venues are hotels, they can provide accommodation for the bride and groom, their family and friends, and some provide other wedding services such as car hire and hair and beauty consultation.