Approval of Premises for Civil Marriages and Civil Partnership Ceremonies

Licence summary

To hold a civil ceremony or wedding at premises in the City of Westminster, they must be approved by the Licensing Authority.

Eligibility Criteria

You must be the proprietor or a trustee of the premises to apply for permission to hold civil ceremonies or weddings.

The application must be in writing (including by electronic means) and include:

• the name and address of the applicant;
• such other information as the Licensing Authority requires; and
• a plan of the premises which clearly identifies the room or rooms in which the proceedings will occur.

A fee is payable upon applicaiton.  The fees list contains the current fee payable for each application type.

Regulation Summary

A summary of the regulations relating to this approval are available below

• The Marriage Act 1994.
• The Marriage and Civil Partnerships (Approved Premises) Regulations 2005.

Application Evaluation Process

Your premises will be inspected by the Superintendent Registrar, District Surveyor, Environmental Health Department, London Fire Brigade and the Council's Licensing Inspectors.

Your application and plan will be made available to the public for inspection and you must place a public notice of the application in a local newspaper as part of a public consultation process.

To be granted, your application must be in the correct format and your premises deemed suitable.

However your application may still be refused if it is felt that there are too many approved premises in the area for the registrars to attend.

Conditions may be imposed to your approval.

The Registrar General may issue guidance to the Licensing Authority to assist it in making its decision.

Will Tacit Consent Apply?

Yes – if the application is unopposed. This means that you will be able to act as though your application is granted if you have not heard from the Licensing Authority by the end of the target completion period.  The Council's target comnpletion period for approval of premises for civil marriages and civil partnership ceremonies is 30 working days.

Apply Online

You can apply for approval of a civil marriage or civil ceremony premises click on the relevant link below.   

• Application for a new approval to use a premises for civil marriages and civil partnerships.
• Application to renew an existing approval to use a premises for civil marriages and civil partnerships.

NOTE: Please note that when you click on one of the above links you will be redirected to the governments Business Link website.  If you don't have a Government Gateway account you will need to create one before you can proceed to the relevant form.  If you already have a Government Gateway account you will be invited to log in prior to completing the application.  This account is necessary as it will ensure that your details are pulled through to the relevant form and will enable you to track your applications once they've been submitted.

If you have any questions or problems with applying online for an approval please do not hesitate to contact the Licensing Service on 020 7641 8549 or email generallicensing@westminster.gov.uk.

Apply via Post

If you wish to apply for the approval of a premises as a venue for civil marriages and civil partnerships please download the relevant form below.

• Application for approval to use a premises for civil marriages and civil partnerships.
• Application to renew a civil marriage and civil partnership establishment approval.

Once the form has been completed the applicant must send it to the Licensing Authority, accompanied by the relevant fee and any required documentation to the following address:

Licensing Service, Westminster City Hall, 4th Floor, 64 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6QP.

If you have any questions need advice on completing the application forms for an approval please do not hesitate to contact the Licensing Service on 020 7641 8549 or email generallicensing@westminster.gov.uk.

Register

A public register is available to view at the Council's Offices during normal office hours.  To make an appointment to view the public registers please contact the Licensing Service on 020 7641 8549 or alternatively email generallicensing@westminster.gov.uk.

Failed Application Redress

Please contact the Licensing Authority in the first instance.

You have the right to seek a review of the Licensing Authority's refusal to grant your application.

You must deliver your request for review to Westminster City Hall, 64 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6QP.

Licence Holder Redress

Please contact the Licensing Authority in the first instance.

You have the right to seek a review of the Licensing Authority's imposition of conditions, refusal to renew or revocation of approval.

You must deliver your request for review to Westminster City Hall, 64 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6QP

Consumer Complaint

We would always advise that in the event of a complaint the first contact is made with the trader by you - preferably in the form a letter (with proof of delivery). If that has not worked, if you are located in the UK, Consumer Direct will give you advice. From outside the UK contact the UK European Consumer Centre.

The council operates a complaints procedure.  To view the complaints procedure or to make a complaint relating to the service you have received please click here.

Other Redress

If you object to an application for premises approval you may give notice to the Licensing Authority within 21 days of the notice of application appearing in the local newspaper.

If there is a concern about noise, pollution, etc please contact Westminster City Council's Environmental Action Line on 020 7641 2000 (24 hrs) or email environmentalactionline@westminster.gov.uk.  Also should any person have a complaint relating to a licensed premises or suspect a premises is operating without the required licence please contact the Council's Licensing Inspectors on 020 7641 3385 or email premiseslicensinginspectorate@westminster.gov.uk.

Any complaints relating to the manner in which the application has been dealt with by the Council should be made in the usual way by clicking here.

Trade Associations and Useful Links

Hotel Marketing Association