Civil wedding and partnership ceremonies will be able to take place outdoors for the first time in England and Wales from next month.
Laws for approved premises, such as hotels, currently require the ceremony to take place in an approved room or permanent structure.
But such venues will from 1 July be able to host the whole event outside under the move to legalise outdoor civil ceremonies.
Justice Secretary Robert Buckland said: “A couple’s wedding day is one of the most special times in their lives and this change will allow them to celebrate it the way that they want.
“At the same time, this step will support the marriage sector by providing greater choice and helping venues to meet demand for larger ceremonies.”
The change will benefit almost 75 per cent of weddings that are non-religious and take place on approved premises, as well as civil partnerships, according to the Government.
It will be welcomed as a boost for the wedding industry after the hardships of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The law change will be introduced through a statutory instrument meaning a vote will not need to take place.
Meanwhile, a minor relaxation of coronavirus restrictions in England will see the 30-person cap for weddings lifted from Monday.
Venues will instead be asked to limit numbers based on space and to enforce social distancing measures, including the wearing of face coverings indoors.
Related: Dido Harding vows to end NHS reliance on foreign workers
Since you are here
Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.
Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.
Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.
If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.
To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.
The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.
The shop can be found here.
You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .
