Just engaged

Discover the basic legal requirements of a Church of England wedding to help you start planning.

Find out how many churches you have to choose from for your weddings - there could be several.

If you're still deciding whether to have a church wedding, here's what makes it unique and special.

A church wedding is usually straightforward, but this page explains the circumstances which may cause complications.

Having a different faith to your partner need not be a barrier to having a church wedding if you’d both like one. Just like all couples, the vicar will want to get to know you both and help you develop a ceremony that reflects your story.

Whether you’ve already had children together, or have children from a previous relationship, we welcome them.

There are no legal restrictions on which day of the week you can have a church wedding, but some days may be better than others.

New prayers of dedication, thanksgiving and asking for God’s blessing for same-sex couples can be used as part of a regular public Church of England service.

Wherever you go in the years ahead, a local church will always be there for you with friendship and prayer. Churches can offer so much more than simply a venue for your wedding ceremony.

There are a few things to discuss with the vicar before your wedding date can be confirmed at a church, so make contact sooner rather than later to ensure you can synchronise the date with your reception venue.

Once you’ve decided to marry in church, your first contact is most likely to be the vicar, although sometimes you may speak to a church administrator first.

From your first contact with us to your first anniversary and beyond, we’re here for you at every step.

Even if one or both of you are divorced, there may be a way for you to marry in church, but you will need to talk to your vicar as soon as possible.

There’s a little more paperwork if your home is in a different country, even if you’re British.

If either of you is not a national of the UK or Ireland and doesn’t hold Settled or Pre-Settled Status under the EU Settlement Scheme, having a Church of England wedding will involve some different paperwork and there will be a number of things your vicar will want to talk to you about.

A Special Licence represents exceptional permission given by the Archbishop of Canterbury to get married in a particular place. It is relatively rare to require one.

It’s unusual to require a Common Licence but this page explains the basic information about them if you’ve been advised that you need one.

Most Church of England marriages will not require a licence, but in some circumstances you might need to apply for one…

Some couples will need to apply for a Superintendent Registrar’s Marriage Schedule before their wedding instead of having banns. Read on for an outline of when you might need this, and what to expect when applying for one.

If you choose to marry in church, it will be a day that is personal and special for you, but that need not mean you spend a fortune.