New regulations could mean that couples will soon be able to hold their wedding ceremony in the comfort of their own home, or almost any other location that they choose.

As things stand, wedding ceremonies in England and Wales can only be held in a church, registry office, or another licensed wedding venue. But following a two-year consultation, the government is expected to this week deliver a new white paper on the subject to the House of Commons.

The main thrust of the paper is that the venue of the marriage is of significantly less importance than the suitability of the person conducting the ceremony, with the logical suggestion therefore being that the 'celebrant' be licensed for marriage rather than the location.

This means that the celebrant would hold responsibility for choosing the location and ensuring that it is safe, accessible and appropriate. Although this would preclude some of the dafter locations people choose such as underwater or on rollercoaster, it will allow people to get married at almost any location that holds special meaning for them.

The Church of England said it was not worried that churches would lose out too much to other locations, with a spokesman saying: "We would love everyone to get married in church, but wherever they hold the ceremony, it is the marriage bit that matters. The Church of England has 16,000 of the best wedding venues in the country, Between 60,000 and 70,000 couples choose them every year and we are not worried these proposals will have an affect on church weddings."

The changes will only apply to England, Wales and Northern Ireland, as couples in Scotland have for some time been able to marry in any location agreed to by the person conducting the ceremony, provided that the ceremony is a religious rather than a civil one.