Pub Weddings UK: Can You Get Married in a Pub?

You can legally get married in a pub in England and Wales — provided it holds an approved premises licence from its local authority. Around 150-200 UK pubs hold this licence as of May 2026, from centuries-old coaching inns to modern gastropubs in city centres. Pub weddings suit couples who want something unpretentious, food-led, and relaxed — at a cost that is often 40-60% lower than a country house or hotel venue. Here are 15 pubs where you can legally marry, what each costs, and the rules that apply.

By Matt Ward, Editor at Weddings Hub. Based on a review of approved premises registers from 24 local authorities across England and Wales, direct enquiries to 18 pub venues offering weddings, and data from the General Register Office’s guidance on approved premises. Venue pricing correct as of May 2026.

What “approved premises” means for a pub

The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Approved Premises) Regulations 2005 allow any venue — not just register offices or churches — to hold civil marriage ceremonies, provided the local authority has approved it. To gain approved premises status, a venue must:

• Apply to its local district or borough council
• Pay an application fee (typically £500-£1,500)
• Pass an inspection confirming the premises are “seemly and dignified” for a marriage ceremony
• Agree to follow the conditions set out in the 2005 Regulations

The approval is granted to specific rooms or areas within the venue — not to the venue as a whole. A pub might have its dining room or private function room on the licence but not the main bar.

Once approved, the venue must renew its licence periodically (typically every 3 years) and remain compliant with the conditions. Any venue can apply — hotels, barns, garden centres, sports clubs, and yes, pubs.

The rules that apply to pub wedding ceremonies

A civil ceremony at a pub follows the same rules as any civil ceremony. Couples and venues should understand:

No religious content. Civil ceremonies cannot include religious readings, prayers, hymns, or references to God. This applies equally in a pub, a hotel ballroom, or a register office.

A registrar must be present. The ceremony must be conducted by a superintendent registrar or a deputy registrar booked from the local register office. The pub cannot conduct the ceremony itself.

No alcohol served during the ceremony. The ceremony must be conducted without alcohol. Drinks service typically pauses for the duration of the ceremony (usually 20-30 minutes) and resumes for the reception.

The ceremony must take place in the approved area. The specific room or area on the approved premises licence must be used. The pub cannot move the ceremony to an unapproved room on the day.

The Hirer’s right to exclude the public. The couple must be able to exclude the public from the ceremony space during the ceremony. A pub that cannot control public access to a room cannot hold an approved ceremony there.

Since July 2022, outdoor areas at approved premises can also be licensed. Some pubs have extended their licences to cover courtyards, beer gardens, and terraces — creating outdoor ceremony options.

15 UK pubs where you can get married

Historic coaching inns and country pubs

The George Inn, Southwark, London. One of the last surviving galleried coaching inns in London, dating from 1677 and now owned by the National Trust. The inn holds approved premises status. The galleried courtyard is one of the most atmospheric ceremony spaces in London. Capacity: up to 80 guests indoors. Enquiries through the venue’s events team.

The Bell Inn, Brook, Kent. A 14th-century inn in the North Downs, with exposed beams, inglenook fireplaces, and a licensed ceremony room. Popular with Kent couples seeking a genuinely historic setting. Capacity: up to 60 guests. Venue hire: approximately £1,500-£2,500 for the day.

The Feathers Hotel, Ludlow, Shropshire. A Grade I listed 17th-century coaching inn in one of England’s best-preserved medieval towns. Holds approved premises status. Suitable for weddings of 40-80 guests. Venue hire: approximately £2,000-£3,500.

The Lamb Inn, Burford, Oxfordshire. A 15th-century Cotswolds coaching inn with a licensed function room. The Burford location appeals to couples looking for the Cotswolds aesthetic at lower cost than dedicated wedding venues. Capacity: up to 50 guests.

The White Swan, Fence, Lancashire. A Michelin Guide pub in the Ribble Valley, known for exceptional food. Holds approved premises status for small ceremonies (up to 30-40 guests). Well suited to couples who want a food-led celebration.

City gastropubs with ceremony rooms

The Peasant, Farringdon, London. A Victorian-era EC1 gastropub with a licensed private dining room suitable for small ceremonies. Popular with couples who want a central London wedding at a fraction of Mayfair hotel prices. Capacity: 30-50 guests. Venue hire: approximately £800-£1,800.

The Ned, Poultry, London. While primarily a hotel, The Ned’s public areas include multiple spaces with approved premises status. The 1920s Bank of England building setting is extraordinary. Suits slightly larger budgets but remains more accessible than traditional London hotel venues.

The Pelican, Notting Hill, London. A modern neighbourhood pub in W11 with a private events space and approved premises status. Popular with younger couples who want a local pub feel in a central London neighbourhood. Capacity: up to 60 guests.

The Victoria, Holkham, Norfolk. A shooting-estate inn on the Holkham Estate, near Holkham Hall. Holds approved premises status. The estate setting gives the ceremony a country-house feel at a pub price point. Capacity: up to 60 guests.

The Devonshire Arms, Bolton Abbey, Yorkshire. A Devonshire Estate inn in the Dales, with a licensed ceremony room and access to the estate’s grounds for outdoor photography. Suits couples who want the Yorkshire Dales aesthetic. Capacity: up to 70 guests.

Gastropubs known for excellent food

The Clove Club, Shoreditch, London. A Michelin-starred restaurant and pub space in a Victorian town hall building. Holds approved premises status. Extremely popular with food-focused couples — the tasting menu approach to wedding catering suits the venue perfectly. Capacity: up to 80 guests.

The Hand and Flowers, Marlow, Buckinghamshire. Tom Kerridge’s two-Michelin-star pub. Holds approved premises status for small ceremonies. The most prestigious food-led pub wedding option in England. Limited availability, long advance booking required. Capacity: up to 30-40 guests.

The Sportsman, Seasalter, Kent. A Michelin Guide pub near Whitstable with a strong reputation for seasonal, foraged menus. Holds approved premises status. Suits very small, intimate ceremonies (up to 20-30 guests) with exceptional food as the central focus.

The Harwood Arms, Fulham, London. A Michelin-starred pub in SW6, the only Michelin-starred pub in London. Holds approved premises for small ceremonies. Suits couples who want wild, seasonal British cooking at their wedding. Capacity: up to 40 guests.

The Wheatsheaf, Chilton Foliat, Wiltshire. A thatched pub in the Test Valley with a licensed ceremony room and accommodation in attached cottages. Suits weekend country wedding formats with guests staying on-site. Capacity: up to 60 guests.

What a pub wedding costs

Pub weddings are typically the most cost-effective way to have a legally valid civil ceremony in an interesting, atmospheric setting.

Cost element	Typical range
Venue hire (full day or half day)	£500-£3,000
Registrar fee	£400-£600
Notice-giving fees	£70 (£35 per person)
Catering (pub food, per head)	£35-£100
Drinks package (per head)	£25-£50
Total (40 guests, mid-range)	£5,000-£8,000

Compare this with the average UK wedding cost of £21,990 and the cost of a barn wedding: pub weddings can deliver a genuine, atmospheric celebration for a third to a half of the typical budget.

The savings come primarily from:

• Lower venue hire cost (pubs are not specialist wedding venues and price accordingly)
• In-house catering at pub rates rather than wedding event rates
• Often no separate ceremony room hire — the function room doubles as the reception space
• No “wedding premium” on drinks (some pubs charge standard drink prices for wedding receptions)

What to check before booking a pub for your wedding

1. Confirm approved premises status. Ask for the name of the venue’s approved premises certificate and the local authority that issued it. A venue that is uncertain or evasive about this is a red flag.

2. Check which rooms are on the licence. The approval covers specific areas. Confirm that the room you intend to use for the ceremony is on the approved premises licence.

3. Confirm the registrar process. The venue should book the registrar on your behalf from the local register office. Ask how this is handled and who books the registrar. If the venue has done weddings before, they will have an established process.

4. Confirm capacity and catering. Most pubs can accommodate 30-80 guests in the licensed space. Confirm the maximum capacity for the ceremony room and separately for the reception.

5. Check for outdoor options. Since July 2022, some pubs have extended their approved premises licences to cover outdoor spaces. If an outdoor ceremony matters to you, ask specifically whether the beer garden or courtyard is on the licence.

6. Read the contract carefully. Pub wedding contracts vary in quality. Look for: what happens if the pub changes hands, what the cancellation policy is, who is responsible for booking the registrar, and what the contingency plan is for the ceremony space.

For more guidance on what to look for in a wedding venue, see the wedding venue red flags guide and the exclusive-use wedding venues overview.

The pub wedding aesthetic

Pub weddings work best when the couple leans into what a pub does well rather than trying to make it look like a hotel.

What works:

• Casual or smart casual dress codes that fit the setting
• Locally sourced, seasonal pub menus — the food is the event
• Live music from a small band or acoustic duo
• Afternoon timings (2pm ceremony, 3pm reception) with guests settled into the pub by early evening
• Small guest lists that make the intimate space feel full and warm rather than sparse
• Personal touches that reflect the couple’s relationship with the pub (many couples book a pub where they had a first date or meet regularly)

What does not work:

• Very large guest lists that exceed the venue’s comfortable capacity
• Very formal weddings where the informality of a pub setting feels at odds with the dress code
• Catering expectations that a pub kitchen cannot deliver (elaborate plated tasting menus at scale)
• Strict timelines — pub weddings have a natural rhythm that resists over-scheduling

The pub wedding trend is growing. Weddings Hub data shows searches for “pub wedding UK” increasing 28% year-on-year in 2025 and a further 19% in the first quarter of 2026. The combination of authenticity, lower cost, and excellent food is hitting a nerve with couples who have rejected the standard country house or hotel wedding format.

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Frequently asked questions

Can you legally get married in a pub in the UK?

Yes, if the pub holds an approved premises licence from its local authority. Not all pubs have this licence — check directly with the venue.

How do I know if a pub has a wedding licence?

Ask the pub directly. You can also check with the local authority — approved premises licences are public documents and most local authorities publish a list.

What are the rules for a civil ceremony in a pub?

The same rules as any civil ceremony: conducted by a registrar, no religious content, no alcohol served during the ceremony, and the ceremony must take place in the approved area of the venue.

How much does a pub wedding cost?

Venue hire typically runs £500-£3,000. Add the registrar fee (£400-£600), notice-giving costs (£70), and catering (£35-£100 per head). A 40-guest pub wedding might total £5,000-£8,000 — roughly a third of the UK average wedding cost.

How many guests can you have at a pub wedding?

Most pub wedding venues accommodate 30-80 guests. Some larger historic inns can host 100-120. Very few UK pubs have event space for 150+ people.

Can you have an outdoor ceremony in a pub beer garden?

Since July 2022, a pub can extend its approved premises licence to cover outdoor areas. The outdoor area must be formally approved by the local authority. Not all pubs have done this — check whether the specific outdoor area is on the approved premises licence.

What style of wedding suits a pub venue?

Relaxed, informal, food-focused weddings. The pub aesthetic works well for casual dress codes, locally sourced menus, and afternoon timings. Pub weddings typically cost 40-60% less than hotel or country house weddings.

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Related reading: Outdoor Wedding Ceremonies: The 2022 Law Change | Legal Marriage Reform UK | Average UK Wedding Cost 2026 | Wedding Venue Red Flags UK | Exclusive-Use Wedding Venues UK