Hello, my name’s Denise a Celebrant from Oaklands Family Celebrant. Firstly huge congratulations if you are visiting this article as part of your journey to planning the wedding of your dreams.

The last year has been tough but now we can see the light at the end of the tunnel and it’s shining very brightly.

The wedding industry has a lot of catching up to do and many of the most popular, licenced venues are being rapidly booked as more and more couples now feel comfortable making wedding plans without the risk of them being stopped again.

At present the only way you can be legally married is if your Ceremony is a held following the rules of Religious Ceremonies or it is officiated by a Registrar at the Local Registry Office or another Licensed Premises.

So what exactly is a Licenced Premises and do you have to get married in one ?

Put simply the answer is No.

Awarding a Licence to a venue means that your wedding will be officiated by a registrar on the day of your Ceremony, making it Legal.

From the Citizens Advice Bureau’s website “the marriage ceremony will take approximately 10-15 minutes” and “each partner will repeat a standard set of vows”, which “may not be changed but may be added to”.

What isn’t commonly known is that the Legal side of your wedding can be carried out for a small fee in what is known as a “two plus two” Ceremony. This is held at the Local Registry Office in the presence of a Registrar, the couple and 2 witnesses, usually at a time when they are less busy.

Licenced Venues and Local Authorities don’t over publicise this option as it diverts business away from them.

But there is so much more available to you.

Using the combination of the 2+2 Ceremony and Celebrant for your Wedding opens up the possibilities to hold your Ceremony anywhere, a beach, a hillside, your favourite beauty spot, your family home or any other venue you may have discounted as it isn’t licenced for Weddings.

The 2+2 Ceremony, usually held a few days before, gets the legal bits out of the way and then the fun begins working with your Celebrant to create the day of your dreams.

Registrar V's Celebrant Explained: What exactly is a Licenced Premises and do you have to get married in one?

Unlike a Registrar Ceremony the world really is your oyster. Your Celebrant will work closely with you both to get to know your story, your families and how you want your day to ‘feel”.

There are no restrictions to the words you choose, the vows you make or the additional elements you choose, such as Hand Fasting or a Unity Candle Ceremony.

There are so many options available to you which I’m happy to talk through with you either over the phone or over a coffee which ever works best for you.

This quick guide will be a help to you :