Your Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Wedding - June/July 2022 (Issue 33)

Say I Do In Somerset It’s official! Outdoor ceremonies are now a permanent fixture. Is your dream to say your vows barefoot on the lawn with sun shining overhead, breeze in your hair, birds singing in the trees? We can’t guarantee the weather, but the open sky is now all yours. Originally brought in as a temporary covid measure, the law changed in April to allow couples to say I Do outside at any existing licensed venue. Somerset Registration Service has been working with wedding venues across Somerset & North Somerset to give couples a greater choice of spots to say their vows. There are still a few essential boxes to tick for safety and accessibility, but otherwise all venues with gardens or outside space may be able to offer that open air option you’re looking for. While the old rules already allowed outdoor vows with the wedding party standing under a permanent structure like a gazebo or bandstand, this really does free things up. Venues have added stone circles, private woodlands, walled gardens and lakeside lawns to their ceremony offers – even marquees now get the go ahead. Spots where only nonlegal blessings could take place are now a choice for the real deal. Our registrar teams are super excited about a season of joining happy couples in some truly gorgeous new locations. Our Outdoor Top Tips Inside or out, only licensed venues can hold legal ceremonies, so still no vows on the beach or on top of Glastonbury Tor. Ceremonies can be held anywhere in the gardens and grounds. It’s worth not straying too far away though – bathroom breaks, catering top ups, and getting yourself from the prep room to the aisle are major considerations. Let your venue help you find the perfect spot – trust them, they know what will work for everyone on the day. Make sure the site is accessible for your guests – heels, mobility issues and grassy hills aren’t a great combination! Let your guests know the plan – they might want to opt for a change of sensible shoes and an extra cosy layer or a broader brimmed hat and some sun screen. Have a bad weather backup plan. This is England, after all. Don’t feel bad if you need to head inside. We’ll make sure the ceremony is so full of love you’ll forget you had to switch plans! Outside eremonies Are Here To Stay Simon & Kiana Photography at Huntstile Organic Farm James & Kerrie Photography at The Cider Barn, Dillingotn Estate TP Photography at The Old Milking Parlour www.somersetweddingservice.org.uk

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0NTE=