COUPLES can tie the knot at Colchester’s Minories art gallery.

The gallery, on East Hill, has been granted a wedding and civil partnership ceremony licence.

People can get hitched in a ballroom in the Georgian building, its Gothic summer house or elsewhere in the grounds of the gallery.

There are already 12 weddings booked for this year, which has been popular in the past for receptions.

Lee Pugh, Minories manager, said: “The Minories has a rich and diverse history which can be traced back to the 1400s, although the building has been a gallery space for the people of Colchester since the late Fifties.

“It’s going to be a really wonderful experience for couples and their families and friends.

“We have such lovely rooms and spaces in the building and such a beautiful garden behind it.

“At the moment there is a big move towards relaxed, informal, quirky, and even vintage weddings, and we can definitely give people that type of experience.”

The Minories can also be used for same-sex marriages and naming ceremonies.