Outdoor civil weddings and partnerships can go ahead in Flintshire from July

Outdoor civil marriages and civil partnership registrations will be able to take place within the grounds of approved premises in Flintshire.

The UK government announced they would be legalised for the first time in England and Wales from July 1.

Under current laws for approved premises such as a hotel, the legal wedding or civil partnership ceremony must take place in an approved room or permanent structure.

This change will give more options to couples and the sector in terms of how they celebrate and host the big day by allowing all aspects of weddings to take place outdoors, from 1 July 2021.

The move will also provide greater flexibility especially during the pandemic when there are important public health considerations to take into account.

Following an announcement, Flintshire’s Cabinet Member for Corporate Management and Assets, Councillor Billy Mullin, said:

“The Registration Service welcomes this announcement because it provides greater flexibility for couples in how they choose to celebrate their marriage or civil partnership. ”

“We know that planning a wedding has been extremely difficult over the last year but we hope this change will be welcomed by couples.”

“I encourage people to look at our website and the beautiful venues we have licensed for civil marriage and civil partnerships across the county, including the Register Office at Llwynegrin Hall, Mold”.

The Registration Service is working with approved premises across the county to ensure a smooth introduction of this change.

The number of guests who can attend civil marriages and civil partnership ceremonies depend on how many people the venue or space can safely accommodate with social distancing measures in place.

This will be based on the Covid-19 risk assessment of the venue or outdoor space, and the measures put in place to limit the spread of Covid-19.

Couples are asked to contact their venue to discuss options for existing and new bookings.