Can we get married in our garden?

You need to apply for a licence. As you say there are rules re where you can get married. I think you will need to speak to someone at your local council who deals with marriage registrations xx

You can only have a civil ceremony in a licensed premises so your parents farm would need to be licensed, you can obtain a licence from the local Council where your parents farm is located but I don't think it is as simple as just filling out a form.

The other way around it would be to just go to the registry office to do the legal bit on a separate day (no fuss) and have the ceremony you want at the farm and just use an actor/friend etc to play the part of the registrar.

I have a slight feeling that to get a licence, the building must be open to the public too? (even if its just on certain open days of the year or all year round).

Do you have anywhere nearby that could hold a civil ceremony then go back to your parents farm after? Might be easier and less stressful ?

Ah interesting, will have to look into that. They have a business there that opens to the public a couple of times a year for a week, so that might work.

Otherwise yup, civil ceremony will be our other option!

Randomly, I read something yesterday about Michael Owen and his wife wanted to license their home when they wanted to get married there. It seems it could have been done but they had to agree that other couples could get married there for the next three years (something like that). Unsurprisingly, they decided against it! Don't know if this is the same across all local authorities.

I was going to suggest this too. This way you could really make the second ceremony exactly how you wanted it with absolutely no restrictions. Much less hassle too I'd imagine...

The legal bit before is definitely an option, we could always squeeze it in the morning before. I'll have a chat with the council to find out if we can do that.

Will do, thanks!

Do you live in England or Scotland as the rules are different. In scotland it is the person who is liecences and can marry you where ever you agree. In England it is the place that is liecenced. The only exception I believe is a humanist blessing can be done antwhere, but it is not legal. The farm sounds lovely and very personal so I would try and find out if I were you. Good luck.

I'm pretty sure you have to have the ceremony under cover, you can't just have it in the open air.

Think you are right, it has to be done in a permanent unmoveable structure & in England it's just one room that get licenced not the whole venue & once it is licenced technically you have to let other people get married there while ever the licence is in effect.