An approved premises is a venue, in Leicestershire, that is licenced to hold ceremonies, including weddings and civil partnerships.
With roughly 25% of a wedding budget going towards hiring the venue, more people have started opting for a licenced premises to make the most of their chosen location.
Fees
A licence costs £2,050 and lasts for 3 years.
To add a room mid-licence, there is a fee of £500.
Eligibility
You can apply to have your venue licenced if the property:
- is a permanent and immovable structure
- is regularly available to the public
- is not religious in nature
- can accommodate ceremonies taking place fully outdoors, or under a partially covered structure, within the grounds of approved premises
It is not possible to apply for approval to only use outdoor areas.
What to provide
The application pack contains details on the criteria that your premises must meet. Please ensure you have all the evidence listed in the checklist before applying.
Apply for an approved premises licence
For more information, please visit registering a venue for civil marriage and civil partnership | GOV.UK.
To start your application, please contact us.
Telephone: 0116 3056565
Email: registration@leics.gov.uk
If you have any questions about the application process, please call us to arrange an informal chat / visit with a dedicated member of our team.
After you have applied
Once we receive your application, we will arrange a visit to the premises to discuss moving forward and possibly working together.
Advertising your application
After we have confirmed that the premises has met our criteria, your application will be advertised on our website for a statutory notice period of 21 days.
This allows residents to view the application and to make any objections if they have any.
Objections
If no objections are received, your venue will be granted ‘approved premises’ status once the 21 day period has ended.
If there are any objections to an application, the approval process will be suspended. The objections will then be investigated to decide whether or not it affects the approval of the premises. Once a decision has been made, the process will continue to either grant or refuse the application.
A copy of any application and room plan can be requested by contacting Sandra Doyle, Registration Support Officer:
Telephone: 0116 3057510
Email: sandra.doyle@leics.gov.uk
Current applications
Objection deadline: 3 October 2024
Objection deadline: 17 September 2024
Objection deadline: 18 September 2024
Make an objection
To object to an application, you must write to the Head of Regulatory Services, County Hall, Glenfield, Leicester, LE3 8RN, stating your reason(s) before the deadline above.
Application turnaround time
Please allow 6 to 8 weeks for any application (without objection) to be completed.
If you are applying to become an approved premises, you should not advertise or take bookings for any marriage and civil partnership ceremonies until the application process is completed and approved premises status has been granted.