A leading celebrant trainer from North Yorkshire has helped shape plans that could transform how couples marry in England and Wales. Stuart Morris joined Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy during the launch of the government’s public consultation, which proposes the biggest changes to marriage legislation for nearly 200 years.
STUART MORRIS, founder of The International College of Professional Celebrants (ICPC), travelled to London on 16 July to take part in the launch event aboard a boat on the Thames. During the event he interviewed David Lammy as the consultation was officially introduced.
“The current law is a patchwork, with some of it dating back a thousand years,” Stuart said. His involvement follows years of collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and Baroness Levitt through the Wedding Celebrancy Commission, which he helped establish and now serves as an executive board member.
The Commission commissioned independent research from the Open University into the expectations of modern couples and examined countries such as Australia, where celebrant-led legal weddings have existed since the 1970s. Those findings contributed directly to the Law Commission’s 2022 recommendations.
Stuart said: “A couple can marry in Las Vegas and have their marriage recognised here, yet they cannot legally marry with an independent celebrant in their own garden or a Yorkshire barn. Couples in England and Wales have very limited options because only registrars and ministers from recognised faiths can legally conduct weddings.”
He continued: “Many same-sex couples, interfaith couples and families whose religious leaders cannot conduct their ceremony are left with very few meaningful choices. Often they receive only a simple legal ceremony, while being encouraged to spend more on council venue packages. That approach puts the process ahead of the people.”
He added: “Every wedding should celebrate the couple’s story. Three decades ago I conducted a funeral for a young woman whose family faced heartbreaking financial circumstances. I wanted her ceremony to honour her life with dignity, and I believe every couple deserves that same respect when they marry.”
The government’s proposals aim to increase flexibility, reduce costs, strengthen protections around marriage and provide economic benefits for wedding venues, hospitality businesses and tourism. Existing legislation governing around 470,000 marriages each year has remained largely unchanged for generations.
If introduced, the reforms would allow weddings in a much wider range of locations, including beaches, woodland, boats and historic buildings, while shifting the legal focus from licensed venues to authorised celebrants.
David Lammy said:
“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.”
The consultation also considers creating a fairer legal framework for couples from different faiths and belief backgrounds, allowing ceremonies that reflect multiple traditions while maintaining full legal recognition.
Through ICPC, Stuart trains celebrants who lead ceremonies for more than one million people annually across the UK. His latest book, Hello, I Love You, Goodbye, is nearing publication, with the first four chapters already available at hilyg.uk.
The public consultation is now open at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/tying-the-knot-reforming-weddings-law-in-england-and-wales. The consultation will run from July 16 to September 24, lasting 10 weeks.
