Tying the Knot – Marriage Law Reform 2026: Respond NOW!
Marriage Law Reform Is Finally Here β And We Need Your Voice
This week, something happened that people like me have been waiting years for. The government launched its public consultation on marriage law reform in England and Wales, and it closes on 24th September 2026. If that sounds like dry policy news, hang on, because this could change the way people get married for the first time in 200 years.
This consultation on marriage law reform is crucial for shaping the future of weddings in England and Wales.
I’m an independent celebrant, so this isn’t just a story I’m reading about. It’s something I live and breathe every day I help couples plan their wedding ceremonies. And this consultation could shape the future of my work, and the choices couples have, for a long time to come.
What Is This Marriage Law Reform Consultation About?
The consultation is called “Tying the Knot” and it’s the government’s next step following years of campaigning and discussion. Back in 2022, the Law Commission published a report looking at how marriage law works in England and Wales in which it described the current rules as inconsistent, complicated, and restrictive.
The big changes in marriage law reform could revolutionise how couples approach their weddings.
Most of the rules that decide who can marry you and where haven’t really changed since the 1800s. So we’ve ended up with a system built around church buildings and register offices, patched together over time to try to fit modern life. The cracks show. Couples who want a personal celebrant-led wedding can’t get one that’s legally recognised. Outdoor weddings on a beach or in a favourite field aren’t allowed unless that spot happens to be part of a licensed venue. And couples from different faiths or no faith at all often find the system just doesn’t fit them well.
This consultation is asking the public, that’s you, whether and how the government should fix all of this.
The Big Idea: Regulating People, Not Buildings
With marriage law reform, the location of your wedding becomes much more flexible.
The single biggest change on the table is a shift in what the law actually controls. Right now, marriage law licenses buildings. You can only get married in a place that has been approved, like a register office, a licensed hotel, or a place of worship.
The proposal flips this around completely. Instead of licensing venues, the law would license the person conducting the ceremony – the officiant. Once someone is authorised to conduct weddings, they could potentially do so almost anywhere, as long as the ceremony meets certain standards. Think gardens, beaches, castles, even cruise ships within UK waters. The government’s own announcement specifically mentioned these as examples of where couples could one day marry legally.
At long last, the role of celebrants could be officially recognised through marriage law reform.
This one change would unlock a lot more choice for couples who want their wedding to actually feel personal, rather than being boxed in by a list of approved buildings.
What This Means for Couples
If you’re planning a wedding, or hoping to one day, here’s what could change:
- More freedom over location. You could choose a spot that means something to you, rather than settling for whatever building happens to be licensed nearby.
- A more consistent, fairer system. Different religious groups and belief systems are treated quite differently under current law. The reforms aim to bring more consistency, so couples aren’t limited based on what they believe, and that includes couples who want an independent celebrant to conduct their actual legal wedding, rather than needing a separate register office visit as well.
- More inclusive language. One part of this reform that doesn’t get talked about enough is how the law actually speaks to couples. A lot of the wording still in use dates back to a time when a wedding only ever meant a bride and a groom. Part of what’s being looked at is bringing the language into the present day, using more neutral terms like “spouse” rather than wording that assumes every couple looks the same. It sounds small, but for a lot of couples, seeing themselves properly reflected in the paperwork and the ceremony wording actually matters a great deal.
- Possibly more affordable weddings. Wider choice usually means more competition and flexibility, which could bring costs down for some couples.
None of this is certain yet. That’s exactly why the consultation exists, to work out the detail before any of it becomes law.
What This Means for Independent Celebrants
Your feedback on marriage law reform is vital to shaping the future of weddings.
Right now, independent celebrants like me can conduct beautiful, meaningful ceremonies, but they aren’t legally recognised. Couples who choose a celebrant-led ceremony still need to pop into a register office beforehand or afterwards to make things official. It works, but it’s clunky, and it means our role sits slightly outside the formal system, even though we’re often the ones shaping the most memorable part of a wedding day.
This is the bit of the reform I care about most. Independent celebrants aren’t tied to any particular belief system. We work with couples of any faith, mixed faiths, or none at all, and we build ceremonies from scratch around the couple in front of us rather than following a fixed script. That flexibility is exactly why so many couples come to us in the first place, but it’s also why we’ve never quite fitted into a system built around religious buildings and registered venues.
The reforms being discussed could finally change that. If the law starts regulating officiants rather than buildings, there’s a real chance that licensed independent celebrants could become part of a proper licensed and regulated system, alongside registrars and religious officiants, rather than sitting outside it. It would mean:
- The ceremony I conduct could be the actual legal marriage, no extra register office visit needed.
- Couples get one seamless, personal ceremony instead of splitting the legal bit from the meaningful bit.
- Independent celebrants would need to meet proper standards and training requirements, which I welcome. Regulation isn’t a threat to what we do, it protects it. It gives couples confidence that their celebrant has been vetted and trained properly, and it puts us on equal footing with everyone else legally allowed to marry a couple.
- It would finally give independent celebrancy a recognised professional status, rather than being treated as an add-on to the “real” ceremony.
Some celebrants worry that regulation might mean more red tape. I understand that concern, but I’d rather have a recognised, respected role within the law than remain in a grey area forever. This is the moment where that could actually happen, and it’s exactly why I want as many independent celebrants and the couples we work with to have their say.
Why 24th September Matters
The consultation is open for ten weeks and closes at 11:59am on 24 September 2026. After that, the government will look at everything it’s heard and decide what happens next, including when any new legislation might be introduced.
This is a rare chance to help shape a law that hasn’t had a proper overhaul in around two centuries. Consultations like this only come around once in a generation, and the responses that come in will directly influence what gets recommended to Parliament.
I know filling in a consultation response isn’t exactly anyone’s idea of a fun evening! It takes a bit of time, you’ll need to read through some questions, think about your own experience, and put your answer down in writing. But this is one of those times where a bit of effort from a lot of people can really help tip the balance.
How You Can Respond
Whether you’re a couple who’s been frustrated by the current rules, someone who had a celebrant-led ceremony that wasn’t legally recognised, or simply someone who cares about fairer, more modern marriage law, your response counts. And if you’re a celebrant, a wedding supplier, or anyone working in the industry, your first-hand experience is exactly what this consultation needs to hear.
Here’s what to do:
1. Review the “Tying the Knot” consultation on GOV.UK – CLICK HERE.
2. Set aside some time to read through the questions properly.
3. Answer honestly, based on your own experience or hopes for the future of marriage law.
4. Submit before 11:59am on 24th September 2026.
5. Keep in touch with the work of the Give Couples Choice Movement who are championing marriage law reform.
This law affects every single wedding that happens in England and Wales going forward. It affects couples who want more freedom in how they marry, and it affects the people, like me, who help create those moments.
Two hundred years is a long time to wait for reform. Donβt let this chance slip by. Please take the time to respond to the consultation before 24th September, and if you know a couple, a celebrant, or anyone who cares about this, send them this way too.
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