3 ways to hold a religious wedding outdoors
If you and/or your partner are religious or spiritual, chances are you’d like to reflect that in your marriage ceremony. But church weddings or fully religious weddings are not the right fit for everyone. Perhaps you would like to make your vows in the great outdoors but still incorporate your religious beliefs. Well the good news is, this is completely possible! Here’s our top 3 ways to hold a religious wedding outdoors.
1. GET MARRIED IN A CHURCH GARDEN
The rules around outdoor weddings in England & Wales were relaxed in 2022 to include a wider variety of locations, including the grounds of churches and other religious premises. However, they are only applicable to the outdoor spaces of authorised venues. So if a religious minister is authorised to perform legal weddings in a church, for example, they will be able to do likewise in the church’s outdoor areas.
In March 2022 the Government said it would put forward a Legislative Review Order to allow for outdoor religious weddings, since such a change would require an amendment to primary legislation, so these changes were not immediately actionable. Furthermore, religious bodies and individual premises will not be obliged to hold weddings in their outdoor areas. But during the consultation process 93% of respondents supported extending outdoor weddings to religious premises, so the demand is clearly there.
If you attend a place of worship it is worth asking your minister if they are able to carry out marriages in their outdoor areas. If not, one of the next two options may suit you better.
2. CHOOSE AN INDEPENDENT CELEBRANT
Independent celebrants create and lead personalised, bespoke wedding ceremonies, with most being happy to incorporate religion if requested. They can also find creative ways to include more than one belief, which is ideal for couples from different faiths or cultures. There are many celebrants to choose from, so you may even wish to find someone with the same faith or cultural background, if that is important to you.
Celebrants cannot currently perform legally binding marriages, but that may change depending on the outcome of the current Law Commission weddings review. As it stands, you would need to complete the legal aspects of your marriage elsewhere, and then you can hold a personalised, celebratory ceremony with a celebrant, which can take place literally anywhere you choose.
You may wish to complete the legalities at the register office, which can be done from around £60 if you choose the simplest process. Or you may wish to hold a separate ceremony at a church or religious venue (see option 3!).
3. HAVE TWO SEPARATE CEREMONIES
If neither of the above choices work for you, or if you’d like a combination of both, there’s always the option of holding two wedding ceremonies! Many Asian weddings, for example, spread the celebration over two or three days.
You may wish to hold one ceremony in a religious building or garden, and another with a celebrant in a separate outdoor location. Perhaps one ceremony could focus more on your religious beliefs, and the other more on you as a couple. Just make sure you check which of your officiants is able to perform the legally binding part. Then in the other ceremony there should be no set rules you need to follow.
Of course having two ceremonies will mean additional costs. But to reduce the cost you could make one ceremony a low-key affair with just close family and friends, with the other being a larger celebration. One example could be a small church wedding with close family and the church congregation, followed by camping out at your chosen wedding venue and holding a large celebration with a personalised celebrant ceremony the next day. The choices are endless!
We hope this has helped to inspire you if you're planning a religious wedding outdoors. There is so much choice out there, which can feel overwhelming, so if you'd like help finding the perfect outdoor wedding venue, celebrant or supplier, just visit our directory to start planning!
