A lot of couples in Dorset already know where they would like to say their vows. A beach they have walked a hundred times. A parent’s garden. The field where the dog goes mad.
And then they find out the law has other ideas.
The short answer: not yet. The government has consulted on plans that would let couples in England and Wales marry legally almost anywhere, with the rules attached to the person leading the ceremony instead of the building. The consultation closed on 24 September 2026. Nothing has changed in law, and there is no date for when it will.
Here is where things stand, in plain English.
What does the law say right now?
In England and Wales, a legal wedding is tied to a place. A register office, a place of worship, or a venue that holds a licence for civil ceremonies. Since 2022, a licensed venue can also hold the ceremony outdoors in its own grounds.
A beach, a back garden or a woodland with no licensed venue attached does not count.
That is why so many couples do it in two parts. A short legal ceremony at the register office, often with two witnesses and no fuss. Then the ceremony they wanted, led by a celebrant, wherever feels right. It works well. It is also two bookings, two dates to arrange and one more thing to explain to your nan.
What is being proposed?
The consultation is called Tying the Knot, and it was run by the Ministry of Justice from 16 July to 24 September 2026. It builds on a Law Commission report from 2022, which described the current law as “inconsistent and complicated, inefficient, unfair and needlessly restrictive”.
The main ideas:
- The rules would follow the officiant, not the building. The person leading your ceremony would be legally responsible for it, wherever it takes place.
- Far more places would be possible. The consultation document gives beaches, forests, family gardens, private homes and canal boats as examples.
- Independent celebrants could conduct legal weddings. So could officiants from non-religious belief organisations, such as Humanists. At the moment, neither can.
- Venues would not need a licence in advance. There would be a voluntary list of established venues instead.
- Giving notice would start online, followed by an in-person interview with a registrar for each of you.
Anglican weddings would carry on under their own arrangements.
Does that mean anywhere at all?
No, and this is the part the headlines skipped.
Under the proposals, your officiant would have to agree to the location. It would need to be safe for everyone attending, and suitable for a ceremony people can follow and take part in. You would still need permission from whoever owns or manages the land.
So a quiet cove with the landowner’s blessing, quite possibly. A busy public beach on an August bank holiday is a different conversation. In Dorset, a great deal of the coast and countryside is owned or managed by somebody, so permission would stay the first question to ask.
When could this happen?
Nobody knows yet. The government is reading the responses now. Its own wording is that legislation will be introduced “when parliamentary time allows”, which is not a date.
If you are getting married in 2027, plan under the law as it stands. A licensed venue, a register office or a place of worship for the legal part, and a celebrant-led ceremony elsewhere if that is what you want.
Please be wary of anyone selling a legally binding beach wedding in England today. It does not exist yet.
What can you do in the meantime?
More than you might think.
- Ask your venue about its outdoor licence. Many Dorset venues are already licensed for ceremonies in their grounds. Ask exactly which spots are covered.
- Consider the two-part wedding. The legal ceremony can be small, quick and low cost. The celebrant-led one can be anywhere, with any words you like. As one celebrant on The Lineup puts it, “your wedding should feel like YOU, not a copy-and-paste ceremony”.
- Talk to a celebrant early. They will know which locations work in practice, including the unglamorous bits. Wind, tides, parking, somewhere for your gran to sit.
If you are a supplier
This matters for you too, calmly and not urgently.
If the reforms go ahead, a wedding will depend less on one venue and more on a team who trust each other. A celebrant, a caterer who can work from a field, someone who knows where the power comes from. Those relationships take time, and they are worth starting before anyone needs them.
The Law Commission expects the changes could mean around 3% more weddings and almost £140 million more spent each year. Useful to know. Not something to rebuild your business around while the law is unchanged.
Where we stand
We would love to see more couples marry in the places that mean something to them. We also think you deserve the facts without the hype.
When the government responds, we will update this post. In the meantime, you can read the wedding law consultation on GOV.UK, or meet the Dorset wedding suppliers on The Lineup, each one checked by a real person.
This is a plain-English summary, not legal advice. For your own ceremony, check with your local register office.