Long overdue, life-changing or frivolous? Your thoughts on wedding rule changes

The government wants to relax wedding laws so couples can get married almost anywhere. Courtney and Sam Scholey had their dream wedding day at a venue in the Oxfordshire countryside - only it wasn't legal The day Sam and Courtney Scholey became husband and wife didn't feel like their wedding day. There was no walking down the aisle, no rings exchanged, no wedding dress, and no music.

That all came several days later, when the pair had a bespoke ceremony led by a celebrant who knew them, at a venue in the Oxfordshire countryside. It was their dream wedding - but it wasn't legal in England and Wales. And so in April, they forked out hundreds of pounds to quietly sign papers at a library in Buckingham.

"For us, that day was as insignificant as possible, Courtney told the BBC. "It was just the words we had to say to make it legally binding. The Scholeys are one of a growing number of couples who feel the rigid rules around weddings are making getting married more stressful, more expensive and less meaningful. But under new proposals announced this month - described by the government as the biggest shake-up of wedding laws in 200 years - couples in England and Wales could have the freedom to hold official marriage ceremonies in a wider array of unconventional locations, from forests to beaches, as long as the location is approved by a registered officiant.

It's welcome news for Nicky Brown, who said she wants to exchange vows in a wildly picturesque corner of Wales, with just her mum and her partner's mum as witnesses. "I'd be quite happy to get married in a field full of sheep, the 57-year-old told the BBC. But some say the sacred tradition of marriage is being perverted.

Wedding rules date back to the 18th and 19th Centuries Currently, a marriage or civil partnership ceremony in England or Wales must take place at an approved venue to be legally binding – and many exert control on elements of the wedding such as vows, headcounts or music. There are also tight restrictions on who can officiate a wedding and how. Authorised religious figures can, but – with few exceptions – only in places of worship.

Registrars can conduct a wedding, but it can't have any religious content. And celebrants can't legally marry people at all. A Law Commission report in 2022 concluded that these marriage laws, which date back to the 18th and 19th Centuries, were "complicated, inefficient, unfair and needlessly restrictive".

David Lammy, then deputy prime minister, said marriage laws in England and Wales had "not kept pace with the social and cultural changes that have shaped modern Britain". He added: "Some feel forced to pay for two different ceremonies, one legal and one belief based. Some enter into a marriage that isn't legally recognised.

Others feel they have little choice but to marry in a way which doesn't reflect their beliefs, marring what should be a joyous occasion. Scotland and Northern Ireland relaxed their rules years ago. Though the exact shape of the new rules is still under public consultation until September, these changes will take regulations from a "buildings based" regulation model to an "officiant based" one. Brown said she and her partner had put off getting married because there was no legal and affordable version of a wedding that reflects them.

She said she didn't want bells and whistles - or even a wedding dress. "I just want somebody to marry us and in a beautiful setting that isn't just going to cost the earth. Brown went on to explain that she'd been scared her mum - who is 86 and unwell - would miss out on her wedding day.

But these changes had given her hope: "The laws are now, what, 200 years out of date? Miranda Allard, 66, also agreed that change is long overdue.

When she got married 40 years ago, she had to jump through hoops to get permission to hold an interfaith ceremony in her parent's garden - and finds it astounding couples today face the same obstacles. "We applied for a special licence... [and] explained how we did not want to put my Jewish mother-in-law through a church wedding, she said. "I, on the other hand, was brought up in a Christian family and would not 'feel married' if doing so in a registry office. It took letters from the couple, their parents, the local bishop, the village vicar and more to convince authorities to allow the ceremony.

"We also combined our legal Christian service with Jewish prayers and tradition, like breaking the glass. Totally unheard of then and ever since, she said, adding the nuptials even made the paper. Simon and Miranda Allard had to get permission to hold an interfaith ceremony in her parent's garden when they got married 40 years ago... Father John, who didn't provide his last name, wrote in to BBC Your Voice to say he'd like to be able to perform ceremonies like this too."