Your church wedding

Thousands of couples dreaming of a wedding now have more churches to choose from with the new Church of England Marriage Measure . 

The rules mean that the Church of England’s network of 16,000 churches - ancient or modern, intimate or grand, simple or spectacular - can offer a wider wedding welcome than at any time in the Church’s history.Until now of couples wished to marry in a parish where neither of them lived they would require a special licence or six months of regular attendance followed by entry on the local church electoral roll.  

Meanwhile the Church of England's website helping couples to plan their big day is proving hugely popular. The "Your Church Wedding" website covers all aspects of wedding planning and is designed to be part of a new push to encourage couples to consider marrying in church.

Since 2008 the Marriage Measure means that an engaged couple are welcome to be married in church in a parish if just one of these applies:

• one of them was baptised or prepared for confirmation in the parish;
• one of them has ever lived in the parish for six months or more;
• one of them has at any time regularly attended public worship in the parish for six months or more;
• one of their parents has lived in the parish for six months or more in their child’s lifetime;
• one of their parents has regularly attended public worship there for six months or more in their child’s lifetime;
• their parents or grandparents were married in the parish.

The UK Wedding Show-- the church takes a stand

A team of local vicars and lay volunteers will be answering questions such as "can I have a church wedding?" and "which version of the wedding service did I see on TV?", as well as offering advice on everything from hymns to fees, at the Church of England wedding stand at Harrogate, North Yorkshire, this coming weekend, September 24th-25th

The Diocese of Ripon and Leeds has taken a stand - Stand 61 - at the UK Wedding Show being held at the Harrogate International Centre in order to encourage more couples to consider a church wedding, and the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds will be on hand on Saturday at 12.30pm to meet with visitors to the national exhibition.

Planning your wedding - click here for more ideas