Currently marriages and civil partnerships in England and Wales can only be conducted and registered between 8am-6pm, but a change in the law is about to make weddings 24 hours.

 

As of 1st October 2012 under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 weddings can take place at any hour of the day or night. Wedding planners could see their nights getting later and their days starting earlier!

This will have a greater effect on civil ceremonies, as it is worth noting that the Home Office have released the following statement “neither local authorities nor religious groups are required to provide services outside of the traditional hours.” Thus they will not be forced to adhere to this change, and conduct marriages outside the traditional hours. It will be up to them. The current notice period of 15 days will still apply.

There have been other changes in timings in the past – 1837 saw weddings take place between 8am-12pm, then in 1886 it increased to 8am-3pm, with the last increase back in 1934 seeing the current hours 8am-6pm made commonplace.

Register General Sarah Rapson said the change in hours would “allow people to make the day unique to them”.

This change will see many more opportunities for couples wanting to tie the knot. It is likely, to begin with at least, that midnight and dawn will become popular hours, although not necessarily with guests! Stunning public venues such as museums, which are open during the day can now be used as wedding venues (provided they have the correct licenses in place) after they close their doors to visitors. Venues will also be able to hold more than one wedding a day, with early and late weddings timed to still be exclusive. There is also the potential for couples to save money, by marrying later in the day they would only have to provide one meal, rather than the wedding breakfast and an evening buffet.

In Scotland couples are already able to marry at any hour, and any change in timings in Northern Ireland will need to be carried out by their own government administration.

What do you think? Would you love the option to marry as the sun rises, or in a midnight candle-lit service? Or as a guest are you now going to be opening those invitations checking not just the date but for sociable timings too? As a wedding planner do you have concerns about your nights getting later and your days starting earlier?