This form is for venues who fall into one of two categories:

  • venues who do not have a current licence
  • venues who need to renew their licence, and make changes at the same time. This could include adding extra licenced areas or change of venue’s name.

If your venue needs to renew their licence with no changes, please complete the renewal form instead of this form.

If your venue has a current licence, and you want to make changes to the licence before the expiry date of your licence, please complete the variation form instead of this form.

The form below will go through the information and documents needed for your application.

If your files are too large to attach to this form, please email them to venueapproval@islington.gov.uk after completing this form.

Application for ceremonies licence

Application form for premises to be approved as a venue for marriages in pursuance of section 26(1)(bb) of the Marriage Act 1949 and civil partnerships in pursuance of section 6(3A)(a) of the Civil Partnership Act 2004. This application must be made by the proprietor or a trustee of the premises.

  • Venue details

  • Please note: this is exactly how the venue's name will appear on the licence, and cannot be changed during the duration of the licence.
  • This is the person who will have overall responsibility for ensuring that the licence requirements are met, and will be the named contact for our office in regards to ceremonies.
  • If you have outdoor areas you would like to licence, please state your plan for bad weather on the ceremony date. This is usually either moving the ceremony inside to a stated licenced room, which will be reserved and set out for a ceremony, or covering the area with a marquee prior to the ceremony day.
  • Please list the name of the room where the registrars can conduct the legal interviews with the couple 15 minutes before the ceremony. The room must be large enough to hold four people, and contain a desk and four chairs. If you have several ceremony rooms/areas and you want to use different interview rooms depending on the ceremony location, please list all interview rooms you want to use.

  • Supporting documents

  • Please attach a plan of the premises and any linked outdoor areas, drawn to such scale that it clearly identifies the room/s or area/s in which ceremonies and interviews are intended to take place, as well as the escape routes.
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    Max. file size: 24 MB.
    • Please attach a seating plan of each ceremony room/area indicating what the maximum occupancy is as permitted by the venue's fire risk assessment, and showing the layout if the maximum number of guests were present.
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      Max. file size: 24 MB.
      • Please attach the latest fire risk assessment for the venue, dated within the last 12 months.
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        Max. file size: 24 MB.
        • Please attach an access strategy document, outlining how people with disabilities will access the licensed parts of the premises and the sanitary facilities. Please click here to see a template of this document.
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          Max. file size: 24 MB.

          • Additional supporting documents for City of London venues only

            There are additional documents required by the City of London. If your venue is within the borough of Islington, please continue to the next section of this form.

          • Please attach fire alarm certification dated within the last 12 months.
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            Max. file size: 24 MB.
            • Please attach a satisfactory Electrical certificate of Inspection Report (ECIR) dated within the last 3 years.
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              Max. file size: 24 MB.
              • Please attach an escape lighting battery certificate dated within the last 12 months.
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                Max. file size: 24 MB.
                • Please attach fire extinguishing appliance and equipment certification dated within the last 12 months.
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                  Max. file size: 24 MB.
                  • Please attach your licence under Section 30 London Building Acts (Amendment) Act 1939.
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                    Max. file size: 24 MB.
                    • Please attach a suppression system certification dated within the last 12 months.
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                      Max. file size: 24 MB.

                      • Any other information

                      • Drop files here or
                        Max. file size: 24 MB.

                        • Payment details

                          The licence application fee is currently £1827, and if the licence can be granted, will be valid up to 5 years.

                          You can either pay by online form or send a cheque payable to 'London Borough of Islington' to Wayne Woodrup, Islington Register Office, Town Hall, Upper Street, London N1 2UD. No other payment methods are available.

                        • Applicant confirmations

                        • You can view the health and safety requirements below: