An online video promoting church weddings is launched today on the Church of England website, to meet an increase in demand for information on church weddings. Featuring vicars enthusiastic about weddings, couples who have rated their church weddings extremely highly, and the Bishop of Hertford, the professionally produced five-minute video explains how the church has a warm wedding welcome for all. It can be viewed on the weddings website www.yourchurchwedding.org and on the national Church of England website www.churchofengland.org.

So far this year www.yourchurchwedding.org has a monthly unique visitor average of around 50,000, compared to 33,000 visitors per month in 2010 (a 52 per cent year to year increase). New visitors have trebled since 2008.

The video, and website, form part of the Church of England's project to promote church weddings that has included roadshows and workshops for clergy in many parts of the country.

The Rt Revd Paul Bayes, Bishop of Hertford, explains in the video: "Now people move around the country a lot more, we've changed the law so you can get married not just in your local church, but also in a whole range of churches that are special for you."

The Revd Rosie Harper, vicar of Great Missenden, Bucks, says: "Taking weddings is one of the most joyful parts of my job. And I don't mind whether people come to church often or not, whether they've been baptised or not, because it's everyone's church and so people can come and be welcomed and have a church wedding."

Rosie married Donna and Tod Bowsher, who also feature. Donna says: "The church family were really helpful making sure everything ran really smoothly… It's been said that there's love in the walls because it's so old and there's been so many weddings there, and you do absolutely feel that when you go in the church. So not only is it aesthetically a beautiful place, but it feels beautiful too." Two other couples share their memories of their church wedding.

The Revd Geoffrey Eze, curate at Great Ilford, Essex, asks and answers the question: "What makes a church wedding so special? The music, the hymns, the vicar, the venue, the powerful vows, and the love of two people coming together."

Tamar Kasriel of Futureal, research adviser to the Archbishops' Council's Weddings Project, reveals: "The majority of the population in the UK… felt that a church wedding is somehow the proper place for a wedding."

Navin Motwani, e-communications officer at the Archbishops' Council, takes viewers through the useful website www.yourchurchwedding.org, introducing them to an online ceremony planner featuring hymns and Bible readings (now used to plan over a third of Church of England weddings), and helpful advice, such as the page Seven Steps to a Heavenly Wedding.

The five-minute Your Church Wedding video was produced with support from the Jerusalem Trust, and will remain online for the next 12 months.

Notes

In 2007 the Church of England conducted 53,567 weddings.

Special connections for qualifying for a church wedding introduced by the Marriage Measure in 2008:

That one of you:   

• has at any time lived in the parish for a period of at least 6 months or
• was baptised in the parish concerned or
• was prepared for confirmation in the parish or
• has at any time regularly gone to normal church services in the parish church for a period of at least 6 months or

That one of your parents, at any time after you were born:

• has lived in the parish for a period of at least 6 months or
• has regularly gone to normal church services in the parish church for a period of at least 6 months or

That one of your parents or grandparents:

• was married in the parish