Long overdue, life-changing or frivolous? Your thoughts on wedding rule changes

Image source, KJA Photography/Kimberley Appleton Image caption, Courtney and Sam Scholey had their dream wedding day at a venue in the Oxfordshire countryside - only it wasn't legal By Tiffanie Turnbull Published 5 minutes ago The day Sam and Courtney Scholey became husband and wife didn't feel like their wedding day. There was no walking down the aisle, no rings exchanged, no wedding dress, and no music. That all came several days later, when the pair had a bespoke ceremony led by a celebrant who knew them, at a venue in the Oxfordshire countryside. It was their dream wedding - but it wasn't legal in England and Wales. And so in April, they forked out hundreds of pounds to quietly sign papers at a library in Buckingham. "For us, that day was as insignificant as possible," Courtney told the BBC. "It was just the words we had to say to make it legally binding." The Scholeys are one of a growing number of couples who feel the rigid rules around weddings are making getting married more stressful, more expensive and less meaningful. But under new proposals announced this month - described by the government as the biggest shake-up of wedding laws in 200 years - couples in England and Wales could have the freedom to hold official marriage ceremonies in a wider array of unconventional locations, from forests to beaches, as long as the location is approved by a registered officiant. It's welcome news for Nicky Brown, who said she wants to exchange vows in a wildly picturesque corner of Wales, with just her mum and her partner's mum as witnesses. "I'd be quite happy to get married in a field full of sheep," the 57-year-old told the BBC. But some say the sacred tradition of marriage is being perverted. Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Wedding rules date back to the 18th and 19th Centuries Currently, a marriage or civil partnership ceremony in England or Wales must take place at an approved venue to be legally binding – and many exert control on elements of the wedding such as vows, headcounts or music. There are also tight restrictions on who can officiate a wedding and how. Authorised religious figures can, but – with few exceptions – only in places of worship. Registrars can conduct a wedding, but it can't have any religious content. And celebrants can't legally marry people at all. A Law Commission report in 2022 concluded that these marriage laws, which date back to the 18th and 19th Centuries, were "complicated, inefficient, unfair and needlessly restrictive". David Lammy, then deputy prime minister, said marriage laws in England and Wales had "not kept pace with the social and cultural changes that have shaped modern Britain". He added: "Some feel forced to pay for two different ceremonies, one legal and one belief based. Some enter into a marriage that isn't legally recognised. Others feel they have little choice but to marry in a way which doesn't reflect their beliefs, marring what should be a joyous occasion." Scotland and Northern