There is no doubt that the choices you make about your wedding day can significantly impact the total cost. Part of the cost will be legal fees, which everyone will pay. There are also optional extras you can choose or decline based on your budget.
Compulsory costs
There is a required legal fee for marrying in a church. In 2026, the legal fee is a maximum of £723 if you choose to marry away from where you live, and a maximum of £605 if you marry in your home parish. See the Affording the costs section below for more details.
This is set by the Church of England nationally and applies to every church.
This basic legal fee includes the vicar’s fee, the church’s fee, calling your banns, a banns certificate, lighting, and all administration. After your wedding, when it has been registered at the relevant register office, you will also pay the register office for your marriage certificate – the certificate is no longer issued by churches.
This required fee has ancient origins and helps ensure your church can maintain essential services, including weddings, christenings, funerals, and other ministries for you and your community.
Optional extras
The statutory wedding fee doesn’t include extras you may choose or decline, such as:
- The support of a verger, who ensures the church is warm, clean and tidy for your wedding and can help with handing out Orders of Service and hymn books etc. They can assist with disability access for your guests and guide them to their seats, toilets, or the crèche, if one is available. They can be indispensable in larger churches, freeing up the vicar to give their full attention to you and the wedding service.
- Additional heating in the church. The vicar will let you know if this applies to your wedding.
- Having an organist, choir or bell-ringers – these extra staff will all need to be booked in advance. Sometimes, the church may request a deposit to secure bookings.
- Bear in mind that if your wedding is filmed, musicians like the organist can request an increase in their fee to take into account professional performing rights (read more). Check with the church about the local arrangements.
- Church flowers – some churches have a local flower arranger who can help you with the flower displays in church.
You do not need any of these extras, but many couples prefer at least some. If you choose them, they will incur an additional cost. The costs for each will be at your church’s local rate.
Affording the costs
Talk to your vicar early on about what the total cost of your wedding is likely to be. It is good practice for the church to provide you with an itemised quote before your wedding so that you can see exactly what you will be paying for.
Once the final church bill is agreed, some couples are still keen to offer a donation to the church. Donations may help cover costs such as administration and building upkeep. While these gifts are very kind, you needn’t feel obligated.
If you’re struggling to afford your wedding costs or finding yourself in financial difficulties, it is worth mentioning this to your vicar, as they might be able to suggest ways to help. If you need to borrow to pay for your wedding, consider a local credit union. Credit unions offer affordable, responsible credit, and some offer special deals on wedding loans. You can find a credit union near you.
The figure for marrying as of January 2026 breaks down as follows:
If you marry in the parish where you both live (£605):
- Marriage service in church: £566
- Publication of banns of marriage: £39
If one of you lives in another parish (£664):
- Marriage service in church: £566
- Publication of banns of marriage (in parish you are being married in): £39
- Publication of banns of marriage (in a different parish than the one in which one of you lives): £39
- Certificate of banns from the other parish: £20
If both of you live in different parishes from each other and other than the one you are getting married in (£723):
- Marriage service in church: £566
- Publication of banns of marriage in the church where you are getting married: £39
- Publication of banns of marriage in the different parishes where you live: £39 x 2
- Certificate of banns from the two other parishes: £20 x 2
