Outdoor civil weddings and partnerships here to stay

Outdoor civil weddings and partnerships are being legalised permanently in England and Wales.

Until last summer, non-religious ceremonies had to be held inside or in a permanent outdoor structure.

The rules were relaxed to allow for more guests while coronavirus social distancing measures were in place.

The temporary measures are being made permanent from April after "overwhelming support" from the public, the Ministry of Justice said.

A government consultation found that 96% of respondents were in favour of the changes being made permanent, with 93% supporting it being extended to religious ceremonies.

The weddings and partnership ceremonies will still have to be held at licensed venues.

Reforms to religious ceremonies will follow, the Ministry of Justice said.

Justice minister Tom Pursglove said: "A wedding is one of the most important days in a person's life and it is right that couples should have greater choice in how they celebrate their special occasion.

"These reforms will allow couples to hold more personalised ceremonies and provide a welcome boost for the wedding sector."

The government is to also consider recommendations from a Law Commission review into marriage laws, which is due to be published in July.

The report is looking at how to modernise marriage law, including widening the locations where people can get married and whether more types of weddings should be legalised.

Until 1994, marriage ceremonies in England and Wales could only take place in churches and register offices.

An amendment to the law permitted ceremonies at other locations including landmarks, stately homes and dedicated wedding venues. The sites must be approved by local councils, with a registrar attending to record the ceremony.

For historical reasons, the law already allows Jewish and Quaker wedding ceremonies the option of taking place outdoors.

But other religious ceremonies still currently take place indoors in churches or certified places of worship.