From 2010 to 2020, a number of UK laws have changed in regards to marriages. Here are five of the biggest.
1. From 2012, alterations were made in British law to allow marriages to take place between 6:00 pm and 8:00 am. Previously it had been prohibited for weddings to be carried out during these hours.
2. Since the Succession to the Crown Act 2013, the Sovereign now only has to grant permission for marriage for the first 6 successors to the throne. Prior to this act, any member of the Royal Family had to seek approval from the reigning King or Queen.
3. In 2014, legislature was passed in Britain to allow same sex couples to officially wed. Prior to this date, gay couples were only granted recognition by form of civil partnerships, but not marriages. To date, however, religious places of worship are not legally bound to perform same sex weddings.
4. From 2018 mixed sex couples were given the option to choose to be recognised under a civil partnership if they wished to do so, rather than having a formal marriage. This move brought both same sex and mixed sex couples in line with each other.
5. As of 2019 the Law Commission is in the process of conducting a review of UK-based marriages. This investigation will take approximately two years to complete, and will examine many restrictions, some of which date back centuries. The aim of the review is to make weddings more accessible and less rigid. This could result in a number of changes to the marriage system, including expansions on permissible wedding venues.
At Delamere Manor, we pride ourselves on being one of the top country wedding venues in Cheshire, welcoming all faiths and sexualities.