Outdoor civil wedding and partnership ceremonies to be permitted from July 1
Civil wedding and partnership ceremonies will be permitted to take place outdoors for the first time in England and Wales from next month.
The current laws for approved premises, which include hotels and country estates, require the ceremony to take place in an approved room.
But from July 1 the whole civil ceremony event will be able to take place outside.
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% 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.
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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.
An estimated 50,000 weddings are reported to have been planned in the month after 21 June.
The wedding industry previously said it would cost them £300 million a week if the lifting of wedding restrictions was to be pushed back.