Marry on mountains
From 1995 new legislation made it possible for people to marry at any venue in the UK with a civil licence, and in 2004 85,000 ceremonies took place in approved premises. Couples who don’t want a church wedding are no longer restricted to register offices. There are thousands of approved venues to choose from to fit into the style of wedding you want. This ranges from Abergynolwyn train station in Wales, with your guests transported in a steam train, to CairnGorm Mountain in Scotland, which is the highest venue in the UK.

A fun day
If you don’t want a formal wedding then there are plenty of fun options. Theme parks like Alton Towers in Staffordshire have licensed rooms for the ceremony, followed by a stroll around the park. If you are an animal lover you can get married at London Zoo. For the football fan, some premiership football grounds like Old Trafford, home of Manchester United, are licensed for civil weddings.  

‘I would love to get married at a zoo with the guests having a tour of the elephant house after the ceremony, because I love elephants.’ Louise, 30.

Fairytale
If you imagined a fairytale wedding in a castle then it can be arranged as long as the castle is licensed and you can afford the hire charges; Madonna set the trend by marrying film director Guy Ritchie at Skibo Castle in Scotland in 2000.

‘As a child I imagined a big castle wedding with a horse drawn carriage, but as an adult the setting isn’t as important as long as all my friends and family are there.’ Clare, 28.  

Sunnier climates
The UK may not be your idea of a perfect setting for your wedding. Some couples go abroad to get married, choosing from warmer countries like Italy, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, South Africa and Cyprus. Travelling abroad is especially popular with people with small families or people who don’t want big weddings.

‘My wife and I got married in Cyprus in 2005. We had a fantastic time - it was more of an extended family holiday. When we got back to the UK we held an evening reception so that we could celebrate with anyone who couldn’t come to Cyprus.’ David, 29.

‘I got married on Table Mountain in South Africa. There was just me, my husband and our little daughter as flower girl.’ Rachel, 30.

Lucy
June 2006

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