The council will give one couple a free ceremony at Old Marylebone Town Hall on 13 April 2027, filmed for a promotional film. Entries close 15 November.

Westminster City Council is giving away a wedding at Old Marylebone Town Hall, where Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and Liam Gallagher all married.

The winning couple will marry on Tuesday 13 April 2027. The catch is that the day will be filmed. The footage becomes the centrepiece of a promotional film for the council’s registration service.

Entries opened at 9am on Monday 2 November and close at 11.59pm on Sunday 15 November. Entry is free. The council announced the competition on 2 November.

The quick answer

  • What you win: a ceremony in the Westminster room at Old Marylebone Town Hall, a first toast for up to 100 guests, and a night at The Landmark London.
  • When: Tuesday 13 April 2027. The date cannot be changed.
  • Who can enter: couples aged 18 or over, living in the UK and legally free to marry or form a civil partnership in England and Wales.
  • Deadline: 11.59pm on Sunday 15 November 2026.
  • The condition: the day is filmed and photographed, and you take part in publicity.

What the prize includes

The competition terms list what is covered:

  • hire of the Westminster ceremony room, the statutory ceremony fee and your certificate
  • an extended booking after the ceremony for a first toast, with prosecco and canapés for up to 100 guests
  • a suite at The Landmark London on the night of 12 April, plus a second room to get ready in, with breakfast
  • a director, two videographers and two photographers, plus Super 8 film coverage
  • the edited film, photographs and Super 8 footage within two months
  • individual flowers for the day, such as a bridal bouquet

It does not cover everything. The terms list what stays with the couple, including:

  • the fee for giving notice of marriage, and any Home Office fees
  • rings, outfits, hair and make-up
  • any meal, reception or party after the first toast
  • anything your guests spend

You must give notice of marriage by 31 January 2027, and send proof that you have. If you do not complete the legal formalities in time, the terms say the prize can be forfeited.

How to enter

Couples enter through the council’s online entry form. You say how you met and why you want to marry at Old Marylebone Town Hall.

The council will contact shortlisted couples before 23 November. They will be asked for a short video telling their proposal story. The winner is due to be announced on 1 January 2027.

Why the council is doing it

Westminster Registration Services carries out more than 3,000 ceremonies a year, the council says. It wants to promote the borough as a wedding destination for the hotels, restaurants, florists and photographers that depend on it.

Cllr Robert Rigby, Cabinet Member for Resident Services and Civic Pride, said: “The Old Marylebone Town Hall has seen more than its fair share of unforgettable love stories, and now we’re looking for the next one.”

The building has a long list of famous ceremonies. The council’s own list includes:

  • Paul McCartney and Linda Eastman in 1969, and McCartney and Nancy Shevell in 2011
  • Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach in 1981
  • Liam Gallagher and Patsy Kensit in 1997
  • Dua Lipa and Callum Turner in May 2026

In 2024 the town hall marked its centenary by marrying 100 couples in one day for £100 each.

What it means for you

If you were planning a register office wedding next spring and do not mind a camera crew, this is worth ten minutes of your time before 15 November. Read the terms first: filming and publicity are conditions of the prize, and the date is fixed.

Sources