by David Barrett, Daily Mail
… but no skydiving or rollercoaster ceremonies allowed
Major reform of wedding laws is set to give couples access to ‘more affordable’ ceremonies, including being able to tie the knot at home, or at a pub, beach or forest.
Labour is to update ‘archaic’ marriage laws to allow a far wider range of venues which will no longer have to be pre-approved.
Ministers said it could help lower the cost of a wedding – currently £20,000 on average – meaning more couples can afford to get hitched.
A consultation paper billed as ‘the biggest shake-up of marriage law in almost 200 years’ said civil weddings will be permitted in private homes and any ‘dignified’ setting, whether in a building or the open air.
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: ‘Giving couples more choice over where they marry could open up more affordable options, while keeping the lifelong commitment of marriage at the heart of every ceremony.’
Weddings will be allowed on boats for the first time, said the paper, published on Thursday.
Ceremonies would be allowed on ‘narrowboats, river cruise boats and historic or decommissioned ships’ as well as ‘larger vessels on coastal waters, such as chartered passenger ferries and yachts or sailing boats’.
However, it added: ‘Settings that require participants to focus on another activity during the ceremony, such as skydiving, white-water rafting, rollercoasters or other amusement rides, will … fall short of the standard.’