Civil Marriages and Civil Partnerships

If you are a trustee or proprietor of a venue in Kensington and Chelsea and wish to register your venue as a location where civil ceremonies may take place, there are three easy steps to follow:

1. Complete the application form which can be found at the bottom of this page
2. Gather the following supporting documents:

• Plans of your premises showing which rooms will be licensed for ceremonies.  The plans should also clearly indicate entrance and exit routes; emergency escape routes; and toilet facilities including for wheelchair users.

• Your most recent fire risk assessment including fire evacuation plan (not older than 18 months).

3. Return your completed application form and supporting documents to [email protected] or by post to Kensington and Chelsea Register Office, Chelsea Old Town Hall, London, SW3 5EE

Once your application is received, an officer will contact you to take payment. Payment can be by card, cheque or BACS. Fees for ceremonies licences from 1 April 2021 are as follows:

As part of the licensing procedure, an inspection visit will take place by both the Superintendent Registrar and officer from the council’s Fire, Health and Safety department. In addition, a public advertisement will appear on the Approved Premises section of this website for three weeks allowing for public objections.

Once an application has been approved, the holder must notify us any change of circumstances including: 

• layout of the premises;
• use of the premises;
• name or full postal address of the premises;
• description of the room or rooms in which the proceedings are to take place;
• name or address of the holder of the approval; and
• name, address or qualification of the responsible person.

Approval of additional rooms is treated as a new application. 

This application form should also be used if you are the trustee or proprietor of a religious building licensed for marriages and wish to licence it for civil partnerships. 

Religious marriages and civil partnerships

If you represent a religious building and would like to: license it for worship; license it for opposite and / or same sex marriages, or disuse the building as a religious venue, please see the links below for full information.  The completed forms should be sent to us at [email protected] 

Licensing for worship

Licensing for marriages (opposite sex, or opposite sex and same sex)

Notifying that a religious building is no longer in use as such

Application forms

Apply for approval of premises for marriage ceremonies and marriage partnership registrations.

Notices under the Marriage Act 1994, Civil Partnership Act 2004

An application has been received to license Jumeirah Carlton Tower, 2 Cadogan Place, London, SW1X 9PY as an approved premises for marriages and civil partnerships. The application can be viewed at the Kensington and Chelsea Register Office, Chelsea Old Town Hall, King’s Road, London, SW3 5EE during usual opening hours. Any person who subsequently wishes to object to the granting of the licence should write to Steven Lord, Superintendent Registrar, at the address above within 21 days of this notice.

Sarah Taylor, Deputy Superintendent Registrar – 14 October 2021