Whether or not you are a regular church goer, getting married in Church can  give you an opportunity to commit your life to your partner, not only in the presence of your friends and family, but also in the presence of God. This is perhaps why many thousands of people every year still choose to Get married in a Church. Below are the answers to some questions you may be asking. If you have any other questions about getting married in either the Church of St Peter and St Paul, West Clandon or in the Church of St Thomas of Canterbury, East Clandon, please do get in touch. We are here to help you with the planning of your wedding and would love to talk.

Can I get married in Church?

Anyone living in East or West Clandon, or who worships in one of the parish churches is legally entitled to get married in their church. If you do not live in the villages or worship at the churches, getting married here might still be an option. Please fill out the form (below) to see whether getting married in one of our churches might be an option for you.

Can I get married on any date?

There is a lot to think about when you are getting married, and it can be easy to leave the booking of the church until everything else has been settled. Whilst you may be entitled to marry in church, the precise date of your wedding needs to be negotiated with Barnaby Perkins, the Rector, and will depend on other commitments in his diary. We do advise that you check with us that your preferred wedding date is free as soon as possible as the Rector’s diary can fill up quite quickly.

How much does it cost?

There is a required legal fee for any wedding taking place in the Church of England in 2016 of £446. This includes the fee for the minister, the church, the calling of your banns in our church and your marriage certificate. If you don’t live in East or West Clandon, you will also need to contact your parish churches (click here to find out which church is your parish church) and arrange for your banns to be read there, there is an additional charge of £40 for the publication of banns in your parish church.

The statutory fees for our churches do not include optional extras that you might want to consider:

  • Parish Clerk (who prepares the registers, tells bell ringers when to ring, tidies away orders of service etc. and helps the day go smoothly) – £45
  • Organist (without music the wedding might seem a bit glum) – £115
  • Choir (to help boost singing and to provide music during the signing of the registers) – £300
  • Bell Ringers – £200
  • If you wish to have an audio or video recording of your wedding you will need to pay the organist an extra £57.50 and the choir and extra £150.

In total all of these ‘extras’ would cost £660 (£867.50 if being recorded).

Can I still marry in church if I have been divorced? 

The Church of England believes that marriage is a bond made for life. However, we recognise that sadly, some marriages do come to an end. In certain circumstances the Church accepts that a divorced person may marry in church again. If you are divorced and would like a church wedding, you will need to arrange to speak to the Rector about your former marriage and about your hopes for the future and to discuss whether a church wedding is appropriate in your circumstances.

We had a civil ceremony. Can we have a blessing at Church?

If you have been married in a civil service and would like to receive God’s blessing on your marriage, we would be happy to talk to you about how this might work. Please contact the Rector with any questions. Whilst new legislation has allowed same-sex couples to marry, we regret that the Church of England does not allow same-sex couples to marry in church. Wherever you marry, your church will always be there for you. Do get in touch with us if you would like to talk more about this.

If you want to find out more you can look at the Church of England’s excellent website www.yourchurchwedding.org which has lots of information about getting married in church and a very useful wedding service planner!

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