When can I marry in church?

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.
Wedding flowers with guests, the couple and the bridesmaids out of focus in the background

Most weddings happen on a Saturday, but Sunday is the third most popular day for Church of England weddings. In fact, you could have your wedding on any day of the week, but check with your vicar first to see if they and the church are free. Whatever day you’d like to get married on, the wedding ceremony must take place between 8am and 6pm.

If you’d like a Sunday wedding, the vicar will want to make sure your service won’t clash with any normal services and that they have enough time and supporting staff available.

There are also no legal restrictions for getting married on special days, like those around Easter, Christmas and other Bank Holidays. But the vicar will need to let you know whether it’s practically possible. Churches can be exceptionally busy around these times, welcoming many more people through their doors than usual, so the vicar will want to make sure they can offer you their full attention and support.

Lent, the 40 days which lead up to Easter Day, is another special time when churches are remembering the temptation of Jesus in the desert. It is a time of reflection and self-restraint, so churches may take down decorations and possibly reduce the number of weddings they do during this time. Some may take a decision not to offer weddings at all on Good Friday because of the sombre mood of this day, which marks the crucifixion and death of Jesus.

Talk to your vicar well in advance about your wedding date so you know what your options are in good time.