It’s peak wedding season in Gloucestershire and there are so many exquisite venues in Stroud and the Five Valleys – no wonder some couples travel hundreds of miles to tie-the-knot in our county!
However, local businesses and couples-to-be are missing out on creating the perfect day, done “their way”, due to an “outdated” marriage law which dates back to 1836.
In the UK, a legal marriage or civil partnership can only be conducted in a church, a registry office or a licensed venue, but some campaign groups believe couples should be free to choose where they marry, and who marries them.
In 2014, the Conservative Government initiated a review by the Law Commission, regarding the governing of how and where people can marry in England and Wales. The Law Commission recommended reforms which would give couples greater choice within a simple legal framework, to support and celebrate marriage. In 2022, the recommendations were put forward to the Government to review and consider. Since then, we’ve had a change of Government and no further progress towards reform. Stroud Times has approached Stroud MP Simon Opher, but he declined to comment.
Stroud Times has spoken to three different groups of people who would welcome wedding law reform:
Stroud Brewery is known for its beer, but it’s so much more than that. The multi-purpose space is host to music festivals, art exhibitions, quizzes, wellness and fitness clubs and other community events, but also used by couples as a venue for wedding celebrations.
Laurence Kapoor is Events Programmer at Stroud Brewery said: “We tend to get people who are looking for a more casual day, like younger couples, or even people who’ve done it all before. We find a lot of couples these days aren’t looking for a stuffy, formal day, and as people start to feel the squeeze a bit more, cheaper venues like brewery’s and halls, tend to be getting more bookings.”
Laurence believes a change in the wedding law would give a huge boost to business at Stroud Brewery: “We tend to do about 10-15 weddings per year, but I think if we do get changes in the law, being able to offer the full package of ceremony, as well as reception, would really help us to increase our numbers. Giving couples more freedom, means weddings can truly reflect who they are. At Stroud Brewery, we’re all about creativity, community and a good pint. These changes open the door for more love-filled, down-to-earth celebrations in places that feel genuinely special.”
The Bride To Be – (Photo 4 Beth and Josh)
Beth Cox grew up in Cirencester, and her fiancé Elliot are looking to marry in 2026. In relation to wedding law reform, Beth said: “It’s so long overdue, especially considering what many couples went through during the pandemic to get married. And the current system, introduced two centuries ago, can feel very complicated. I’m in the early stages of planning our wedding and our chosen venue is not what would be considered a typical one – it’s a tapas bar! Thankfully it happens to be a registered venue, and that information alone helped us choose it, because we don’t want to have a change of location on the day between ceremony and evening. Changing the law to allow more flexibility of who can legally marry a couple, would make it all so much simpler.”
Jilly Drywood is an independent celebrant from Stroud: “I would welcome a legislative change allowing celebrants to legally marry couples. In my experience my couples welcome more autonomy, personalisation and creative ceremonies that reflect their relationship, their love story, lifestyle and any theme they may wish to incorporate. Increased freedoms to choose when, where and how would be wonderful. As an independent celebrant to be able to conduct the legal part too, would be, excuse the pun, put the icing on the cake!
“I feel that the proposal to grant celebrants the legal authority to marry couples reflects a shift toward greater personal choice and inclusivity in how marriages are conducted. It recognizes that many couples seek ceremonies that reflect their individual values, beliefs, and identities—beyond traditional religious or civil options. This change would allow for more meaningful, flexible and culturally diverse weddings, while potentially streamlining the process by combining the ceremonial and legal aspects into one event.
“However, such a change also brings challenges. It would require robust regulation to ensure celebrants are properly trained and held to legal standards, minimizing the risk of errors or misuse.
“Traditional religious and civil authorities may view the shift as a dilution of their role and governments would need to manage the increased administrative and legal responsibilities that come with overseeing a broader pool of marriage officiants, which could in turn create other restrictions.
“Ultimately, while the proposed change promotes equality, personalization and modernisation, it must be implemented carefully to preserve the integrity and legality of the marriage process and all who are involved.”
For further enquiries about hiring Stroud Brewery, contact Laurence at laurence@stroudbrewery.co.uk or go to the website www.stroudbrewery.com/pages/venue-hire
