INTRODUCTION
Marriage is a hugely rewarding act of worship and a great sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.
However, nowadays the process of organising a wedding can be complex and daunting. Good planning and preparation are key to making things simpler and stress-free. So, to help you get started, we have set out these simple guidelines to help you secure a perfect venue for your Nikah Ceremony.
Our Spaces
Getting married at Cambridge Central Mosque is the experience of a lifetime. We are committed to providing unique & stunning, yet economical and eco-friendly space, where you will create unforgettable memories with your closest family and friends.
We have three spaces available for Nikah Ceremonies which you can use together if you prefer: The Conference Room, Atrium & the Café (which must be booked if you wish to bring food on site).
Above: Café Below: Conference Room
As an example, you may wish to use the intimate Conference Room for the formal part of your Ceremony followed by an optional reception in the Café. Alternatively, if you have more guests, use the stunning and more spacious Atrium for the formal ceremony instead.
Note: Our underground car park may be used for the Bride, Groom & Guests for the duration of the Nikah Ceremony. Spaces cannot be reserved, operates on a first come first serve basis.
Steps To Secure
Once you have thought about how you would like your Nikah Ceremony to take place, read all the information on this page, then go through the following steps to secure your chosen Spaces.
1. “Book via Skedda” below, selecting a date, time & specifying the spaces you wish to use.
(Enter your first names for the Booking Title, e.g. ‘Ali & Sarah’)
2. Fill out the booking form together with your partner.
3. Read and agree to the Terms & Conditions and submit the form. Completing this form does NOT guarantee a booking.
4. Await final confirmation via email within 14 days of submission of the form.
5. Donate according to our Donations List below to help us cover our costs.
DONATIONS
All our costs – from wages for imams & ground staff, cleaning & maintaining facilities, garden upkeep and supplemental electricity, just to name a few – are covered solely by your generous donations.
This is why we provide a Donations List, depending on which rooms you intend to utilise during your Nikah Ceremony.
⚠️ Please note: Donations of all kinds are strictly non-refundable.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Your mosque ceremony will be officiated by our Resident Imam & the information you provide in your application form will be passed to them for review in advance. Your data is held according to our Data & Privacy Policy.
At the point of booking, you must assign an Alternative Contact with whom we will liaise on the day of your Nikah Ceremony, and you may also appoint them as the Main Contact for matters relating to your booking.
To facilitate avoiding overlapping with prayer times, the following table sets out the available slots for Nikah Ceremonies throughout the year. You must ensure your booking covers these ranges in order to be approved.
Conference Room
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr – Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 9:00 | 9:00 | 14:00 | 9:30 | 9:30 | 9:00 | 9:00 |
| 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:30 | 11:30 | 11:00 | 11:00 | |
| 13:30 | 13:30 | 14:00 | 14:00 | 13:15 | 13:15 | |
| 17:30 | 18:00 | 16:00 | 17:00 | 16:30 |
Note: On Fridays Conference Room is only available late afternoon, and there are no wedding receptions following the first slots (in itallics).
Atrium
| Jan – Fab | March | April | May – Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov-Dec |
| 10:00 | 10:30 | 10:30 | 10:30 | 10:30 | 10:00 | |
| 15:00 | 16:00 | 15:00 | 17:00 |
Note: Atrium not available on Fridays.
For wedding receptions, the café must be booked for 2 hours. Please note we can cater for a maximum of 60 guests with a self-service arrangement. Please view our Approved Caterers below to find out more on our pre-approved restaurants which you can use for catering.
| Caterer | Location | Email/Website | Telephone |
| Cheese & Chai | Birmingham | cheeseandchai.co.uk | 07743 941648 |
| Hassan Catering | Luton | hasssan.catering@hotmail.com | 079853 98975 01582 706666 |
| Kan Zaman | Cambridge | kanzaman.co.uk | 01223 643255 |
| Mirage Caterers | Peterborough | mirageweddingsuk.com | 07860 125092 |
Should you have specific enquiries, kindly email weddings@cambridgecentralmosque.org
Frequently Asked Questions
Please scroll to the top of this page and proceed as directed.
After you have made your Nikah application, the designated Main Contact Point will receive an email on how to proceed with finalising the booking unless further clarification is needed, in which case, we will get in touch.
All attendees are encouraged to arrive 15 minutes before the Nikah ceremony begins. The Nikah ceremony itself will take between 30-40 minutes and the rest of the allocated booking time can be spent for celebration and photography. After the 1-hour 15 minute booking has elapsed, the wedding party should leave the premises (except to engage in private worship in the prayer hall). Wedding photography or videography is not permitted in the Prayer Hall.
Our donation was arrived at after careful thought and consideration considering the high running costs of the mosque coupled with the prestigious venue that we are able to offer for wedding ceremonies. Further details on why we need your donation can be found here. When making the booking, we ask that you agree to being “able to make a donation according to our Donations List“. Please note you are welcome to donate more as 100% of your donation will go towards covering the running costs of our mosque.
We are able to provide a partition between males and females if requested.
Decorations, frames, or partitions are not permitted to be brought in for Nikah ceremonies.
The Mahr, a prophetic tradition, is a gift that is given by the husband to the bride which becomes her sole property and cannot be taken back.
The average UK mahr amount is between £3-4K. Please note the mahr can be deferred and the entire amount does not need to be paid upfront.
Proof of ID (Passport or Driving Licence) of the Bride, Groom as well as witnesses must be submitted prior to the Nikah ceremony. Other documentation may also be required subject to the information provided on the Nikah application.
According to Islamic law, a minimum of 2 male witnesses are necessary for a valid Nikah, or alternatively, 2 female and 1 male witness.
The Wali is a male guardian, usually a father or otherwise a brother or paternal uncle, whose role it is to ensure that the marriage the bride is entering upon is in her best interests and that the marriage contract ensures that she be treated fairly.
In the event that the bride does not have a Wali, a Wakil can be appointed as a representative or a Trustee to receive her consent of marriage. As an example, if someone is a convert, they can choose for the Imam to be the Wakil.
Though highly recommended as a protective measure for the bride, it is not an absolute necessity for the bride to have a Wali or Wakil in order to have an Nikah.
The majority of the ceremony will be spoken in English. The formal parts of the ceremony that need to be said in Arabic will also be translated into English by the Imam to ensure the bride, groom as well as guests have a full understanding of the proceedings.
The Nikah certificate is purely an Islamic document and has no legal standing in UK Law. The Nikah certificate symbolises that a marriage has taken place between the bride and groom according to Islamic law and may be used in Islamic countries if necessary e.g. the couple attending Hajj together.
The Civil Ceremony does not need to take place prior to the Nikah though the Imam would like to know when a date has been arranged for the Ceremony to take place.
Cambridge Central Mosque is not currently authorised by the local council to conduct civil ceremonies. To conduct a civil ceremony, this will have to be arranged with your local registrar. You can find further guidance on the process of arranging your civil marriage via this link below.
For the marriage to be legally registered, you must ‘give notice’ at your local register office and arrange for the civil ceremony within 12 months of giving notice.
Free parking for up to 75 cars including 5 disabled parking bays are available in the Mosque underground car park on a first come, first served basis.
The Mosque has a cafeteria which can be hired out/used for a Donation. Please see our Walima page for further information on what we offer and how to book.
Our capacity for wedding ceremonies and wedding receptions is as follows:
o Conference Room: 60 people
o Atrium: 200 people (Maximum of 60 people if booked together with the Café)
o Wedding Receptions in the Cafe: 60 people
Please view our Approved Caterers List to find out more on our pre-approved restaurants which you can use for catering.
The Nikah ceremony will begin with a Qur’an recitation and if you have any particular ayahs you would like recited, you are more than welcome to make a request.
• The ceremony will then continue with a short talk by the Imam on the significance of marriage in Islam with citations made from the Qur’an and Hadith.
• The Imam will then proceed to give a Khutbah as given by the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) when he conducted Nikah ceremonies.[1]
• The Ijab (proposal of marriage) and qabul (acceptance of marriage) will then be made between the groom and the Wali or Bride.
• The couple may then exchange vows in English – The Imam will ask the groom to repeat the vow after him, and thereafter, the bride will also be asked to do the same.
• The couple have officially entered upon wedlock according to Islamic Law and the Imam will then make a dua to conclude the ceremony.
• Once the ceremony has concluded, the Nikah certificate will be signed by the Bride, Groom, Imam & witnesses.