Getting married the way you want could never have been easier. You don’t have to follow your parents or grandparents and opt for a traditional church service as they did but instead it is 
now possible to have your ceremony outdoors, on the top of a hill, or under a waterfall! Of course, the celebrant-led wedding isn’t actually legally binding and you will have to get officially hitched beforehand but you can still have your ceremony conducted the way you want, in-front of your friends and family and you don’t have to decide to go for tradition.
If you do want to have a more traditional service then there are wonderful ways to do it, even if you don’t live in Cumbria.
A Church Service
Opting for the more traditional with a full church service, hymns and bible readings is easier than you think. You can still make it as personal and meaningful to you as a couple and can have your say in most things so that it will work for you.
If that is the way you are thinking of going, then make sure you fall into one of the categories below or it might not be as simple as you think. You can marry in a Church of England church if:
- One of you has at any time lived in the parish for at least 6 months
- One of you was christened in the parish
- One of you was confirmed in the parish
- One of you has at any time gone to normal church services in the parish for at least 6 months
- One of your parents has lived in the parish for at least 6 months (after you were born)
- One of your parents has gone to regular church services in the parish for at least 6 months (after you were born)
- One of your parents or grandparents was married in the parish
Hope is never lost as there is a loophole and you can create your own connection!
- Simply by attending your chosen parish church once a month for 6 consecutive months means that you can marry there
Have a little look at the Church of England website as there is a great deal of information on there and you can also search your chosen parish along with many others to get more details.
Of course, you still can’t get married in church if you are a same-sex couple but there are plenty of other ways to get hitched.
A Registry Office
There are four registry offices in Cumbria that can play host to your wedding. From 10-70 people depending on which one you go for in Barrow, Carlisle, Penrith and Kendal. A simple ceremony with only 10 people doesn’t meant that you can’t have a big fancy reception afterwards. So, invite as many people as you want to the hotel afterwards or go simple and grab some fish and chips and watch the world go by on the beaches in Barrow. The choice is really yours.
The registry office doesn’t just perform the ceremony, but is your first port of call for all the legal requirements.
To get married in Cumbria you must complete your Notice of Intent to Marry. You will also have to pay fees for the ceremony, a booking fee, the Notice itself and any certificates – generally this is between £100-£200.
Have a chat with them or visit their website – they are obviously incredibly busy but have all the information that you will need!
A Hotel/Barn/Private Venue
We are very lucky here in Cumbria to have a huge range of stunning and unique venues for you to choose from. Over 200 of them have the necessary requirements for you to be able to have a legal ceremony officiated by a Cumbrian registrar.
Planning your ceremony in any of these, as well as in a registry office, means that you can add your own readings and songs if you want, mixed in with the legal requirements. Generally, a wedding ceremony officiated by a registrar last 20-30 minutes depending on what you want to add. You can add 1 or 2 readings, even 3 shorter ones if that’s what you want to go for so you can really make it your own and yes you can go for biblical or more traditional readings or hymns.
Each venue will be different. Some will have options for outdoor ceremonies in a fixed pergola, some will have a couple of different rooms for you to choose from depending on number of guests and also to give you the ceremony image you want.
A Wood/Fell/Lake…Cumbria is your oyster!
Elopement into the hills and fells of Cumbria…’Yes’ I hear you cry!
The two of you escaping into the woods with your family and friends for a hand-tying ceremony or a ceremony of your choice is officially taken by a celebrant or humanist and can give you the freedom to explore many different outlets with your ceremony planning.
Both will give you the wedding freedom you want, not just in a location but also how your ceremony is performed.
A humanist celebrant will only offer a non-religious ceremony; their service is based purely on humanity and reason. They have no religious beliefs and so do not include any religious content in their ceremony. However, they can and will still add readings and hymns if you wish to do so.
An independent celebrant on the other hand has a little more freedom and will generally be able to include whatever you want. Acts of worship, prayers, or non-religious forms of these can also be added. The choice is yours.
Second Picture source Cote How
Third Picture source With Abandon
Main Image source Lakesceremonies
