Civil marriage and partnership venue

Introduction

The owner or manager of any venue in Southwark planning to host civil marriages or other celebratory ceremonies must have a valid licence.

Before a licence can be granted, the venue has to be inspected by the Registrar's Office to meet the suitability criteria. We will contact you to arrange an inspection of your premises once your application has been received.

Advertising your application

As well as sending your application to us, you must also advertise your application so that local residents and businesses can have the opportunity to comment on it. This advertisement should take the form of a notice placed in a local newspaper that is available in newsagents in the area you the premises is located in eg South London Press or the Southwark News.

You can download the newspaper advert template to assist with your notice.

Once the newspaper has published your advertisement, please send a copy of the newspaper to Registrar's Office.
If your application is refused, you may appeal at a public hearing. For more information on this process, download a copy of the rules reviews on approved premises decisions.

Remember, it is an offence to operate without a licence or to breach the terms of the licence.

Licence conditions

The premises where you plan to hold the ceremonies will be inspected before a licence will be issued, to ensure it meets health and safety standards. For further details, download a copy of the health and safety standards for marriage venue.

The following conditions must also be satisfied before a licence will be issued

1. The holder of the approval must ensure that there is at all times an individual with responsibility for ensuring compliance with these conditions "the responsible person" and that the responsible person's occupation, seniority, position of responsibility in relation to the premises or other factors, his "qualification", indicate that he is in a position to ensure compliance with these conditions
2. The responsible person or, in his absence, an appropriately qualified deputy appointed by him shall be available on the premises for a minimum of one hour prior to each marriage ceremony and throughout each marriage ceremony
3. The holder must notify the authority of their name and address immediately upon becoming the holder of an approval under regulation 7(2) and of the name, address and qualification of the responsible person immediately upon the appointment of a new responsible person
4. The holder must also notify the authority immediately of any change to any of the following

• The layout of the premises, as shown in the plan submitted with the approved application or in the use of the premises
• The name or full postal address of the approved premises
• The description of the room or rooms in which marriages are to be solemnised
• The name or address of the holder of the approval
• The name, address or qualification of the responsible person

1. The approved premises must be available at all reasonable times for inspection by the authority
2. A suitable notice stating that the premises have been approved for the Solemnisation of marriages in pursuance of section 26(1)(bb) of the Marriage Act 1949 and identifying and giving directions to the room in which a marriage ceremony is to take place must be displayed at each public entrance to the premises for one hour prior to the ceremony and throughout the ceremony
3. No food or drink may be sold or consumed in the room in which a marriage ceremony takes place for one hour prior to that ceremony or during that ceremony
4. All marriage ceremonies must take place in a room or rooms approved by the council for the solemnisation of marriages on the plan submitted with the approved application
5. The room in which the marriage is solemnised must be separate from any other activity on the premises at the time of the ceremony
6. The arrangements for and content of each marriage ceremony must meet with the prior approval of the superintendent registrar of the district in which the approved premises are situated


7. Any reading, music, words or performance which forms part of a ceremony of marriage must be secular in nature; for this purpose any such material used by way of introduction to, or any interval between parts of, or by way of conclusion to the ceremony shall be treated as forming part of the ceremony


8. Public access to any ceremony of marriage solemnised in approved premises must be permitted without charge


9. Any reference to the approval of premises on any sign or notice, or on any stationery or publication, or within any advertisement may state that the premises have been approved by the authority as a venue for marriage in pursuance of section 26(1)(bb) of the Act, but shall not state or imply any recommendation of the premises or its facilities by the authority, the Registrar General or any of the officers or employees of either of them.