Muslim Marriage Ceremonies

IMI offers Muslim Marriage Ceremonies (commonly referred to as nikkah) lead by a female imam based in the UK. We can provide our services in-person in the UK, or remotely via Zoom. Our Muslim marriage services are not binding by UK law and we require all couples to confirm in writing that they understand this before their ceremony takes place. We offer interfaith Muslim marriage ceremonies to straight, queer and trans couples without the need for conversion to Islam as part of our commitment to freedom of belief and religion and the right of everyone, especially women – who have been systematically denied this for so long – to choose their own spouse.

IMI does not currently have the resources to provide counselling or mediation services to couples, families or individuals.

Please read the following information about our services carefully before contacting us for further info or to book.

Muslim marriage ceremonies

Our Muslim marriage services are available to people over the age of 21 of all sexualities and genders, including interfaith (a Muslim marrying someone of another faith) and inter-non-faith couples (a Muslim marrying someone of no faith)

We do not have our own permanent premises from which to register the service so IMI’s ceremonies are not recognised by UK law. We strongly recommend you have a civil service in addition to any religious ceremony for the protection of your rights and that of your partner under UK law.

The key criteria of a marriage in Islamic jurisprudence is primarily that:

• there is consent and free will between the individuals getting married;
• the terms of the marriage are agreed by the couple in advance. This is usually agreed in a written marriage contract.
• in the Sunni schools of jurisprudence it is also stipulated that the union be witnessed by at least two people.

These criteria can be fulfilled by a civil marriage so a religious ceremony is not required if a civil ceremony will be done. No imam is required to legitimise an Islamic marriage but we understand the cultural significance of an imam to many couples.

At IMI we require all couples to agree in writing to a Mubarat divorce before their marriage ceremony. In Mubarat divorces, each spouse has the right to initiate a divorce by proposing divorce to their spouse and that spouse should then accept that proposal of divorce. This ensures no third party is needed to legitimise a divorce. At the point of divorce, the terms of the marriage are dissolved.

Can you conduct in-person ceremonies?

We can conduct Muslim marriage ceremonies online via Zoom and in person.

What gender is your imam?

We have a female imam who can officiate up to two ceremonies per month on a first come, first served basis. We are currently unable to provide or recommend male or nonbinary imams.

How far in advance should I book my ceremony?

The imam will want to speak with the couple at least 2 months in advance of the ceremony date to discuss the marriage criteria, to talk through the process and ceremony, and to answer any questions you may have. As a result, we require a minimum of 8 weeks between your booking and your preferred ceremony date. This allows enough time for your imam to work with you.

The busiest months for marriage ceremonies are April to September and December so we recommend that you book well in advance if you want to book a ceremony for one of these months.

How much do you charge for marriage ceremonies?

For this service, we ask for a fee of £500 for a half day or £750 for a full day, including travel time for the imam to and from the venue for in-person ceremonies. We charge £500 for online ceremonies.

In addition, we ask couples to cover their imam’s travel and accommodation costs where applicable.

This allows us to continue our other community work with marginalised Muslims. If these amounts would exclude you from our services, we’re happy to discuss a reduced rate for online ceremonies.

We require a non-refundable £250 deposit, to be paid immediately upon booking. We cannot proceed with your booking until this deposit has been paid. The deposit will count towards your total ceremony fee.

What is your cancellation policy?

We have a strict cancellation policy to honour the time, planning and commitment given by our Imam when a ceremony is arranged. We charge a non-refundable £250 deposit to help cover costs if you need to cancel your ceremony.

If you cancel your ceremony within 4 weeks of the ceremony date, you will need to pay the ceremony fee in full.

If you need to postpone your ceremony, we ask that you come back to us with a suggestion for a new date within 4 weeks of letting us know about the postponement. If we don’t hear from you within 4 weeks, we will consider this a cancellation. We will always do our best to be available to you on your suggested date but we will confirm with you to make sure the rescheduled ceremony date is mutually practical. If we cannot make your new date and we are unable to settle on a mutually agreed date, we will consider this a cancellation. We cannot accept indefinite postponements.

Inclusive Mosque retains the right to withdraw our services at any point, for any reason. If we feel we need to do this, we will always let you know as soon as possible.

How do I pay for my ceremony?

An invoice will be sent to you after your ceremony is complete, to be paid within 30 days. You can pay via bank transfer or via our GoFundMe with a screenshot of your payment. All payment details will be included with the invoice.

How do I book a ceremony?

If you’ve read through this FAQ and would like to book a ceremony with us, please contact us. We’ll help you book in an online meeting with the imam where you can ask any questions you need to to help you make a decision about having the imam conduct your ceremony. Once you’ve made your decision to go ahead, you will be asked to complete a short form at asks for important information that helps us arrange a ceremony for you.

Immediately upon completing this form, you must pay the £250 non-refundable deposit. Once the form has been completed and the deposit has been paid, the imam will be in touch with you to arrange another meeting via Zoom to start planning your ceremony.

Can IMI officiate Islamic divorces?

No. We are not a Sharia council and we do not provide any divorce services.