Civil Wedding Venue

In April 1995 the law changed to allow civil wedding ceremonies to be held in buildings other than Register Offices. This opened up the opportunity for hotels, castles, country houses, stately homes and even football stadiums to apply for a licence to become a wedding venue.

A civil wedding ceremony is a legally approved marriage ceremony does not contain any religious aspects. Civil ceremonies are conducted by a superintendent registrar or a deputy and will take place in a registry office or a licensed venue (subject to arrangements)

The registrar has to receive an ‘authority’ for your marriage to be able to proceed. This can only be obtained by giving prior notice of marriage, which you should do at your local register office 15 days before your actual wedding day. You will also need to bring at least two other individuals to the wedding ceremony. They must be prepared to witness the marriage and sign the marriage register.

Nailcote Hall was the first hotel in Britain to be granted a licence for civil ceremonies (licenced from 12am - 4pm)

Today the hotel is one of the Midland's most popular venues for civil wedding celebrations. Part of the attraction is the delightful setting of the hotel in its own park-life grounds and the elegance of the historic building itself.