IT WAS once the place where couples first got together. Now the former Regal in Cowley Road, Oxford, will become the place where they can take their vows.

The Christian Life Centre Church operates out of the Grade II-listed building and has been given approval to hold marriages.

The Regal had been operating as a nightclub since 2008, but the venue, which played host to gigs from bands as varied as Supergrass, Stornoway, The Macabees and Jedward, closed down last year.

Yet it could soon echo to the strains of Wagner’s Bridal March.

The Christian Life Centre previously held a marriage licence for 49 Cowley Road but this has now been cancelled and transferred to The Regal.

Ed Chipperfield, chairman of James Street Residents Association, said: “I think it’s a great idea.

“It is a local landmark and it is a good use for the building.”To host a wedding, all venues in the county must be registered with Oxford Register Office.

This means having at least one room licensed for civil ceremonies, which must be a “distinct part of the premises” and being able to sit a minimum of 20 people, among other requirements.

The Regal opened as a cinema in the 1930s and was used as a bingo hall before sitting empty for four years. In 2007 it was given licensing permission to open as a club and was given a £1m revamp.