UK wedding law reforms could enable legal ceremonies onboard boats

A shake-up to wedding laws in England and Wales could soon allow legal wedding ceremonies to take place onboard boats that are either moored or underway.

The consultation, announced by the government yesterday (16 July 2026) and highlighted by Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy during a visit to river cruise company Hobbs of Henley, proposes changes to wedding legislation that would move regulation away from licensed buildings and instead focus on authorised officiants. If adopted, the changes would allow legal weddings to take place in a wider range of locations, including canal boats, passenger vessels, yachts and other boats while afloat.

The proposals would allow couples to legally marry in almost any location – from a castle to a hot-air balloon, a beach or a cruise ship in international waters – provided the ceremony location is approved by a registered officiant.

Lammy says: “They say you can’t put a price on love – but too often, the cost of weddings puts this commitment out of reach.

“That’s why I’m reforming archaic rules, so couples have more freedom to say ‘I do’ on their own terms, while strengthening safeguards to protect the meaning and permanence of marriage.

“Seeing Hobbs of Henley today has brought these proposals to life. Under our plans, unique options like this could offer couples a truly personal place to celebrate one of the most important days of their lives.”

Trade association British Marine says it has spent more than six years working with the government and the Law Commission on changes to legislation that currently prevents legal wedding ceremonies from taking place onboard vessels unless they are permanently moored.

The trade association says the existing legislation limits the ability of passenger boat operators, inland waterway businesses and yacht charter companies to offer ceremonies and receptions onboard.

British Marine first engaged with the Law Commission in 2019 during its review of marriage law. In 2020, the association hosted a roundtable with members of its Passenger Boat Association, including Hobbs of Henley, to discuss the commercial implications of potential reforms.

The association says its submissions informed the Law Commission’s 2022 report, Celebrating Marriage: A New Weddings Law, which recommended replacing the current venue-based system with one centred on authorised officiants, allowing weddings to take place in suitable locations approved by those officiants.

British Marine says it has continued to raise the issue with successive governments, including through its Industry Priorities 2024-2029 document published before the 2024 General Election.

Brian Clark, director of member services at British Marine, says: “British Marine strongly welcomes the launch of today’s consultation that signals the government’s clear intent to modernise UK wedding law and give people greater freedom of choice over where they get legally married.

“The reforms will be a great boost to UK’s leisure marine sector, enabling operators to expand their offer to include unique wedding experiences whilst cruising in some of our most iconic waters – from onboard passenger boats on the River Thames and in day boats on Lake Windermere, to sailing on charter yachts around Britain’s spectacular coastline. They also have the potential to benefit UK-registered vessels operating internationally, allowing them to offer legal wedding ceremonies whilst cruising in international waters.

“This is good news for the UK’s marine industry, which already helps generate over £17bn annually to the national economy. By removing outdated restrictions, these reforms will help create new revenue streams for the industry, which supports both inland and coastal communities. We look forward to working with government to ensure the final legislation delivers these benefits while maintaining the integrity of the marriage ceremony.”

Jonathan Hobbs, managing director of Hobbs of Henley, adds: “We welcome this proposed change in the law as our wedding business has declined over the last twenty years as organisers increasingly want a one-stop-shop venue where both the ceremony and reception can take place together.

“The amount of wedding business we have lost when couples discover the legal ceremony cannot take place onboard has been considerable.

“These reforms will allow operators like ourselves to offer exactly the experience today’s couples are looking for and provide a welcome boost to the passenger boat industry at a difficult time for hospitality. We’d like to thank British Marine for lobbying so hard to bring about this important change.”

The government says the proposed reforms are intended to give couples greater flexibility over where they marry, while also supporting the wedding, tourism and hospitality sectors and helping to reduce wedding costs.

British Marine says the changes could allow passenger boat operators, inland waterway businesses and yacht charter companies to include legal wedding ceremonies as part of onboard wedding packages while cruising. The association also highlights that these proposals could support marine tourism by increasing the range of wedding venues available across the UK’s rivers, lakes, canals and coastline.

British Marine says it will continue to engage with the government during the 10-week consultation, which runs until 24 September 2026.

The full consultation is available online.