Simply Married

How do you choose the right ceremony type?

Your main choice is between a civil ceremony, conducted by a registrar with no religious content, and a religious ceremony conducted by a minister in a building registered for marriage. The right choice depends on your beliefs, whether your venue is registered for the ceremony type you want, and how much flexibility you want over content.

Civil ceremonies

Civil ceremonies happen at register offices or venues approved for civil marriage, follow a fixed legal script plus your own additions, and cannot include religious content. They give flexibility over venue and format while keeping the ceremony non-religious.

Religious ceremonies

Religious ceremonies take place in a church, synagogue, mosque or other building registered for marriage, following the customs of that faith. Some, such as Church of England and Church in Wales weddings, can use banns instead of civil notice as their legal preliminary.

Mixing traditions

Some couples hold a civil ceremony for the legal marriage and a separate religious or cultural ceremony for personal or family reasons. Where the second ceremony has no legal registration status, it does not affect the marriage's legal validity either way.

What this means for you

  • Check a venue's registration status for the ceremony type you want before falling in love with it.
  • A non-legal blessing or cultural ceremony alongside a legal one is common and entirely fine.

Official sources

Last reviewed: 17 August 2026 · Next review due 17 November 2026

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Related guides

What is a civil marriage?Civil marriage in England and Wales: what it means, where it can take place, and how it differs from a religious ceremony.How does religious marriage work in England and Wales?How religious weddings become legally valid: registered buildings, authorised officiants, and how the rules vary between faiths.What are banns and do you need them for a church wedding?How banns of marriage work for Church of England and Church in Wales weddings, and when civil notice is needed instead.

Simply Married is an independent planning service, not a register office or government department. Confirm current requirements and fees with your own register office and on GOV.UK.